Muhammad Akbar Rhamdhani

Professor Muhammad Akbar Rhamdhani is a Professor in Extractive Metallurgy and Metals Recycling at Swinburne University of Technology's School of Engineering. He leads the Fluid and Process Dynamics (FPD) Group, the Net Zero Carbon Materials and Processes Research Platform, and the Energy Transition Metals Research Flagship. His research spans advanced metal refining, low-carbon metallurgy, and extraterrestrial processing, with a focus on hydrogen-based technologies and solar energy applications. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy and holds a PhD in Materials Science from McMaster University.

• Education:
  • PhD, Materials Science and Engineering, McMaster University (2005)
  • BEng (Hons), Materials Engineering, Institute Technology Bandung (2000)
  • Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching, Swinburne (2010)

Research Interests: Akbar's work addresses critical challenges in metallurgical decarbonization, e-waste recycling, and space resource utilization. His projects include hydrogen plasma for low-carbon steelmaking, solar thermal processing of lunar materials, and REE extraction from NdFeB magnets. These align with SDGs 7 (Clean Energy), 9 (Industry Innovation), and 12 (Responsible Consumption).

Publication Trends: His recent articles emphasize hydrogen metallurgy for CO2 reduction, ISRU technologies for Mars regolith processing, and slag-based silicon refining. Studies often combine thermodynamic modeling with experimental validation, focusing on resource efficiency and environmental sustainability.

• Scientific Awards:
  • 2024 LMD/EPD Best Energy Paper (TMS, USA)
  • 2023 JSM Best Paper Award (TMS, USA)
  • 2023 Adrian Normanton Award (IOM3, UK)
  • 2020 Williams Award (IOM3, UK)
  • 2019 Kent D. Peaslee Award (AIST, USA)
  • 2015 MetSoc Award (Metallurgical Society of Canada)

Supervision & Grants: He actively supervises PhD students in topics like lunar steel production and hydrogen-based e-waste processing. Current grants include Australian Renewable Energy Agency (8/2024–6/2029) and HILT CRC projects (2023–2028) for hydrogen DRI and solar metallurgy innovations.