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Professor M Akbar Rhamdhani

Professor; Director Fluid and Process Dynamics (FPD) Group
PhD, McMaster University, Canada; BEng (Hons), Institute Technology Bandung, Indonesia

Biography

Professor Muhammad Akbar RHAMDHANI is currently the Director of Fluid and Process Dynamics (FPD) Group; and Program Leader of Net Zero Carbon Materials and Processes (Manufacturing Future Research Platform) at Swinburne. Akbar is a Professor in Extractive Metallurgy and Metals Recycling. Akbar obtained his PhD from McMaster University Canada in Materials Science and Engineering. He has been a teaching-research academic at Institute of Technology Bandung (ITB) and the University of Queensland, before joining Swinburne. Akbar was a Visiting Professor at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Belgium and Visiting Scientist at CSIRO. He is also currently an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia.

Akbar's research expertise is on advanced metal/material refining and impurities removal (e.g. in steel, aluminium, magnesium, silicon, nickel, and minerals); development of new processes for metal production; thermodynamics and kinetics of high temperature metal and chemical processes; and physical chemistry of interface. Akbar's current research directions include: (1) Recycling and recovery of metals from urban resources (e-waste, end-of-life alkaline and lithium ion batteries, solar panel, permanent magnet; (2) Decarbonisation and Hydrogenation of metallurgical processes; (3) Pyrometallurgical processes of Rare Earth Elements (REE) minerals; (4) Solar metallurgy (the use of concentrated solar thermal energy for minerals and metals processing); and (5) Astro metallurgy (extra-terrestrial minerals and metals processing; e.g. metals extraction on Mars and Lunar).

Akbar has been working conducting joint research, delivering courses and workshops with/to metals industries in Australia, Europe and Indonesia. Akbar and research teams have been awarded a number of international awards including the 2023 JSM Best Paper Award from TMS, USA; 2023 Adrian Normanton Award from IOM3, UK; the 2020 Williams Award from IOM3, UK; the 2019 Kent D Peaslee Award from AIST USA; the 2015 Mann Redmayne Medal from IOM3 United Kingdom; the 2015 Marcus Grossmann Medal from ASM International USA; and the 2015 MetSoc Award from Metallurgical Society of Canada. Also recently, Akbar was awarded a 2018 World Class Professor and 2018 World Class Scholar from the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education, Republic of Indonesia.

Research interests

High Temperature Materials Processing; High Temperature Physical Chemistry; Phase Equilibria; Advanced Metals/Materials Refining and Impurities Removal; Extractive Metallurgy; Resource Efficiency; Recovery of Metals from Alternative and Urban Ores; New Processes for Metals Production with Low Carbon Footprint; Process Thermodynamics and Kinetics; Solar Processing of Metals and Materials; Astrometallurgy

PhD candidate and honours supervision

Higher degrees by research

Accredited to supervise Masters & Doctoral students as Principal Supervisor.

Honours

Available to supervise honours students.

Fields of Research

  • Pyrometallurgy - 401908
  • Metals And Alloy Materials - 401607
  • Energy Generation, Conversion And Storage (excl. Chemical And Electrical) - 401703

Teaching areas

Thermodynamics;Heat Transfer;Renewable Energy

Awards

  • 2024, International, LMD/EPD Energy Best Paper Award, The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS), USA
  • 2023, International, Erasmus+ ICM Academic Mobility, EU - University Miskolc, Hungary
  • 2023, International, EPD/LMD Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy Best Paper Award, The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS), USA
  • 2023, International, Adrian Normanton Medal , IOM3, UK
  • 2021, Swinburne, Vice Chancellor's Global Initiative Award, Swinburne
  • 2020, International, Williams Award, The Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3), United Kingdom
  • 2019, International, SCKD (World Class Scholar) 2019, Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education, Republic of Indonesia
  • 2019, International, Kent D. Peaslee Award, AIST (Association for Iron and Steel Technology), USA
  • 2018, International, World Class Professor 2018, Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education, Republic of Indonesia
  • 2018, International, SCKD (World Class Scholar) 2018 , Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education, Republic of Indonesia
  • 2018, Swinburne, Faculty FSET Teaching Award (Most Improved Unit), Swinburne
  • 2018, Swinburne, Faculty FSET Researcher of the Year (MCR), Swinburne
  • 2017, Swinburne, A highly commended mention in Vice Chancellor's Teaching Excellence (Higher Education) Award, Swinburne
  • 2016, Swinburne, Research Sabbatical Scheme, Swinburne
  • 2015, International, MetSoc Award, Metallurgical Society of Canada, CIM
  • 2015, International, Marcus Grossmann Award, ASM International
  • 2015, International, Mann Redmayne Medal, IOM3, UK
  • 2015, National, Australia-Korea Research Leader Exchange Scholar, NRF Korea - DFAT Australia
  • 2009, Swinburne, Vice Chancellor's Research Award, Swinburne
  • 2009, Swinburne, Vice Chancellor's Internationalisation Award, Swinburne
  • 2004, Other, Clifton W Sherman Scholarship, McMaster
  • 2003, Other, Stelco-McMaster Graduate Fellowship, McMaster
  • 2003, Other, D.A.R. Kay Memorial Prize, McMaster
  • 2002, Other, Stelco-McMaster Graduate Fellowship, McMaster
  • 2000, Other, Best and Youngest Graduate - Mechanical Engineering, ITB
  • 1999, Other, Best Student from Dr Abdoel Djalal Foundation, ITB

Publications

Also published as: Rhamdhani, M.; Rhamdhani, Muhammad; Akbar Rhamdhani, M.; Akbar Rhamdhani, Muhammad; Rhamdhani, A.; Rhamdhani, Akbar; Rhamdhani, M. A.; Rhamdhani, M. Akbar; Rhamdhani, Muhammad A.; Rhamdhani, Muhammad Akbar
This publication listing is provided by Swinburne Research Bank. If you are the owner of this profile, you can update your publications using our online form.

Recent research grants awarded

  • 2023: (Student) Oxygen Steelmaking with Alternate Iron Feed *; Tata Steel Nederland Technology BV
  • 2023: Analysis of market, cost and locational factors for green iron and steel in Australia *; HILT CRC Limited Fund Scheme
  • 2023: ARC - IH200100005 - Project 1.1.3 - Inclusion Engineering in Si de-oxidized steel for Rail Grade applications *; University of Wollongong
  • 2023: Eco-friendly solar thermal processing of monazite ores for processing and recovery of rare earth compounds *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2023: Hybrid hydrogen direct and plasma reduction of iron ore *; HILT CRC Limited Fund Scheme
  • 2023: Recovery of rare earth metals from NdFeB permanent magnet scrap *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2023: Silicon Production Using Hydrogen *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2023: Testing of Australian Iron Ores in a Hydrogen Direct Flash Smelting Process *; HILT CRC Limited Fund Scheme
  • 2023: Using hydrogen in secondary copper smelting for e-waste processing *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2022: (Student) Iron Production Using Ammonia as a Reductant *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2022: (Student) Study of foaming sensitivity against local cooling by endothermic reduction *; Umicore Group R & D
  • 2022: Hydrogen Ironmaking: fluidised bed H?DRI with Australian focus *; HILT CRC Limited Fund Scheme
  • 2022: Impact of Hydrogen DRI on Melting in an Electric Furnace *; HILT CRC Limited Fund Scheme
  • 2022: Kinetics of Hydrogen Reduction of Iron Ore Fines *; Calix Ltd Fund Scheme
  • 2022: Postgraduate Student Agreement between CSIRO and SUT/VH2 - Use of hydrogen in steelmaking, student Gopal Pandey *; CSIRO Post-Grad Scholarships
  • 2022: Project 1.2.2: Conversion of Co-Product/By-Product Streams into Usable Materials and Valuable Products *; LIBERTY PRIMARY STEEL
  • 2022: Transportable high-power blue laser for processing of reflective materials *; ARC Linkage Infrastructure and Equipment Scheme
  • 2021: (Student Top-up) Light Metals Rare Earth Elements Alloys Reduction/Oxidation Behaviour *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2021: ARC - IH200100005 - Australian Steel Innovation (Led by Wollongong) *; ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hubs
  • 2021: Eco-friendly Solar Thermal Processing of Monazite ores for Processing and Recovery of Rare Earth Compounds *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2021: Investigation of the properties of icy lunar and Martian regolith simulants and their implicationson In-Situ Resource Utilisation *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2021: Metallothermic production of rare earth master alloys *; GRANDFIELDTECH_FS
  • 2020: (Student) Mineral Processing of Lunar Regolith using Concentrated Solar Energy *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2020: Concentrated Solar-Powered Carbothermal Reduction of Spent Lithium-Ion Battery (LIB) *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2020: End-of-life, Electrically-Enhanced Recycling Process for EoL Si PV-Cells *; Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
  • 2020: Oxygen and Structural Materials Production from Lunar Regolith - Student *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2020: Recycling and Recovery of Valuable Metals from End-of-Life Electric Vehicles Component *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • 2019: Direct Reduction of Lead Blast Furnace Slag using Alternative Carbon Sources *; Umicore Group R & D
  • 2019: Nurturing Graduates for Australian Automotive Engineering Futures - Automotive Engineering Graduate Program *; Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
  • 2019: Sinter Mineralogy and Properties *; CSIRO Post-Grad Scholarships
  • 2019: The Pilot Process for Extraction and Production of Zn/ZnO powders from Victoria's End-of-Life Batteries *; Sustainability Victoria
  • 2018: Evaluation and Measurement of Thermal properties of Composite Heat Shields *; Diver Consolidated Industries (DCI) / Diver Metal Products Pty Limited
  • 2018: Recovery of Zn/ZnO and Al-Cu Alloys from End-of-Life Alkaline and Li-Ion Batteries *; Innovation Connections
  • 2017: Analysis of Recovery of Valuable Components from Fractions from Processed End-of-Life (EOL) Li-Ion Battery and PV Cell *; Innovation Connections
  • 2017: Reduction Kinetics between Coke and Slag in a Lead Blast Furnace *; Umicore Group R & D
  • 2013: Describe the segregation behaviour of Pb, In, Ag, Sn & Cd from a ZnO rich mixture containing these elements as compounds *; Umicore Group R & D
  • 2013: Glass Fines Project *; Visy
  • 2013: Wealth from Waste (Recycling systems: barriers and enablers for industrial ecology in Australia) *; CSIRO Flagship Collaboration Research Fund
  • 2012: Literature Review and Study for Umicore *; Umicore Group R & D
  • 2012: Phase Diagram Studies in the System Cr-Fe-Ti-O-S and Application to the Separation of Cr-Spinel Contaminants from Limenite Concentrates *; CSIRO Flagship Collaboration Research Fund
  • 2012: Study of WEEE behaviours in the TSL furnace *; Outotec Pty Ltd - Contract
  • 2011: Cu fuming from zinc oxide products *; Umicore Group R & D
  • 2010: Auto CRC Final Year Project Agreement - Paul Gangemi *; AutoCRC
  • 2010: CAST PhD Top-up Scholarship - Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Nickel and Vanadium inclusions Formation *; CRC for Cast Metals Manufacturing (CAST CRC)
  • 2010: New Sidewall Materials for Aluminium Smelting - 2010 CSIRO Flagship Collaboration Fund Postgraduate Top Up Scholarship (Light Metals Flagship) *; CSIRO Flagship Collaboration Research Fund
  • 2009: Develop technique(s) for removing/controlling impurities, in particular Ni and V, in Al melts (CAST CRC) *; CRC for CAST Metals Manufacturing
  • 2009: Novel multistage high temperature aluminium production *; Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

* Chief Investigator


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