2010-12-22

The Key Laboratory of Unconventional Metallurgy, Ministry of Education, which was founded on the basis of the Institute of Microwave Application, Kunming University of Science andTechnology, which is mainly focusing on the great urgent questions of the comprehensive utilization of mineral resources in the metallurgical industry, energy-saving and emission-reduction and increase in value of deep processing of metallurgical products, and acquiring original innovations and proprietary intellectual property rights in the fields of unconventional metallurgy, culturing urgent innovation talents for Yunnan province and nation, strengthening scientific and technical innovation of metallurgical industry, boosting induced effect of metallurgical industry to the national economy and social development. The main research areas include microwave metallurgy, application of microfluidic technology on metallurgy, new technique of high gravity metallurgy, applications of microwave and plasma in material fields, new technology of resource comprehensive utilization and R & D of higher temperature microwave reactors.

    There are more than 60 researchers and administrators. At present, the key laboratory is undertaking more than 50 projects mainly including Key Project of National Nature Science Foundations, 973 Program, International Cooperation Project of Ministry of Science and Technology, Project of Yunnan Provincial College Cooperation, and Enterprise Commitment Projects, etc. So far, we have published more than 400 papers and 5 books/monographes, applied for 95 patents with 62 ones granted. We have cultivated 13 doctor students, 40 master students and 4 post-doctoral fellows. The laboratory was awarded with 1 the Second Prize of National Technology Invention, and more than 10 the First and Second Prizes of Nature Science of Yunnan Province.

    The laboratory has developed and made independently new microwave metallurgical higher temperature reactors, and built up microwave higher temperature production line with characteristics of large-scale, continuous and automation at home and abroad firstly, and transferred about 25 items of high quality reactors, production line and related technology to the Instituto Nacional del Carbón (INCAR), the Spanish Scientific Council (CSIC), which appended accumulation of output value 976 millions, profits 242 millions, creating outstanding economic benefit and prominent effect of energy-saving and emission-reduction, enlarging social influence.

    The lab has in succession built up international collaboration relationships with the Institute of Polymer Technology and Materials Engineering, now The Department of Materials of Loughborough University, Britain; Karlsruhe Research Center, Germany; the Instituto Nacional del Carbón (INCAR) from the Spanish Scientific Council (CSIC); Materials Processing and Recycling Laboratory, Tokyo University, Japan; and Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Albert, Canada etc. We have carried out substantial exchange and cooperation with above-mentioned universities and institutes in new application fields of microwave energy technology.