Hugang Li | Sustainable Metallurgy | Research Excellence Award

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Dr. Hugang Li | Sustainable Metallurgy | Research Excellence Award

Taiyuan University of Technology | China

Hugang Li is an engineer with a Ph.D. in Engineering from China Agricultural University College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering. He currently serves as Lecturer at the School of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, and previously completed a joint-PhD training at the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, followed by a postdoctoral research position at the “Solid Waste and Carbon Recycling Center,” Shanxi Clean Energy Research Institute, Tsinghua University. His research focuses on thermochemical conversion of biomass and solid waste for environmental functional materials, phosphorus resource recovery from sewage sludge, nano-biochar production, and ecological restoration. As principal investigator on projects such as the “Multi-Scale Structural Coordination of Iron-Manganese SpinelActivated Carbon for Dioxin Supercritical Oxidation Enhancement” and “FeCl₃-Coordinated Hydrothermal Phosphorus Recovery and Cyanide Inhibition in Biochar”, he advances sustainable waste-to-resource transformation. His recent peer-reviewed publications address hydrothermal phosphorus/arsenic co-transformation in sewage sludge, vacuum fractional distillation of biocrude oils, heavy-metal immobilization in hydrochar, wastewater treatment via hydrothermal biofuel production, and hydrothermal liquefaction effects on heavy metal and arsenic behavior. Having achieved 23 publications and 675 citations, with an h-index of  11, his work demonstrates both productivity and impact in environmental and waste-resource engineering. He has earned recognition through  national-level natural-science award, a overseas-training scholarship, and invitations to present at major international conferences. He remains dedicated to innovating sustainable waste and bio-material technologies, training the next generation of researchers, and contributing to circular bioeconomy and environmental health.

Profiles: Scopus |  Orcid

Featured Publications

Li, H., Gao, Y., Chen, H., Zhou, H., Qin, Y., & Niu, S. (2025). Acidic Fe(III)-driven hydrothermal co-transformation of phosphorus and arsenic in sewage sludge: Vivianite crystallization coupled with amorphous ferric arsenate formation for phosphorus-enriched hydrochar. Separation and Purification Technology, 373, 133617.

Li, H., Tian, C., Lu, J., & He, C. (2022). Vacuum fractional distillation of biocrude oil and the immobilization of harmful metals. Fuel, 326, 125013.

Li, H., Cao, M., Watson, J., Zhang, Y., & Liu, Z. (2021). In situ hydrochar regulates Cu fate and speciation: Insights into transformation mechanisms. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 410, 124616.

Li, H., Cao, M., Zhang, Y., & Liu, Z. (2021). Hydrothermal liquefaction accelerates the toxicity and solubility of arsenic in biowaste. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 418, 126314.

Li, H., Watson, J., Zhang, Y., Lu, H., & Liu, Z. (2020). Environment-enhancing process for algal wastewater treatment, heavy metal control, and hydrothermal biofuel production: A critical review. Bioresource Technology, 298, 122421.

Alexander Shmatov | Materials Science | Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Alexander Shmatov | Materials Science | Best Researcher Award

Belarusian State Technological University | Belarus

Alexander Shmatov is a distinguished materials scientist and researcher, currently serving as Chief Researcher at Belarusian State Technological University (BSTU) and Professor at Wuhan Textile University . He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science , D.Sc. in Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering , and has been recognized as a Professor and Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences . With more than peer-reviewed publications and  patents, his research has received significant global attention, reflected in an h-index of 2 and over 8 citations and documentation is 13. Professor Shmatov has led  national and international research projects and contributed  industrial collaborations, focusing on heat treatment, thermo-chemical treatment, and nanotechnology for material strengthening. His work emphasizes the development of efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly methods for enhancing steels, hard alloys, and diamond-based tools. He has authored four monographs and two tutorials, and actively participated in editorial and scientific committees, including the International Scientific and Technical Conference “TOP.” His contributions have led to practical industrial applications in enterprises, generating significant economic impact. Recognized with multiple awards for research excellence, Shmatov continues to advance material science through innovative technologies, process optimization, and international collaborations, reinforcing his role as a global leader in materials engineering.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Shmatov, A., & Puteri, N. (2025). Air-sintered copper-aluminum alloy inner electrodes. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, 36(14), 1–10.

Shmatov, A., Chien, C. F., & Ku, C. T. (2025). Studies on CuNi alloy with zinc protective layer sintered in air. ES Manufacturing Materials, 2025(June), 1–8.

Shmatov, A., Lee, W. H., & Kuo, T. C. (2024). Study on the fabrication of high-quality hafnium oxide thin films using spatial rotated atomic layer deposition and supercritical fluids treatment. Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A, 42, 062409.

Shmatov, A., Divya, P., & Kuo, T. C. (2024). A study on environmentally friendly electroless-plating. Journal for Electrochemistry and Plating Technology, 2024, 1–8.

Shmatov, A., Lee, W. H., & Yu, Y. W. (2023). Increasing the conductivity of sintered powder Al–Cu material due to electroplating of aluminium particles with copper. Metal Science and Heat Treatment, 65(5–6), 1–7.

Pallab Sarmah | Powder Metallurgy | Editorial Board Member

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Dr. Pallab Sarmah | Powder Metallurgy | Editorial Board Member

University of Johannesburg | South Africa

Dr. Pallab Sarmah is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Technology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He obtained his Ph.D. in Composite Materials and Advanced Machining, following an M.Tech. in Computer Integrated Manufacturing and Automation, and a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering. His primary research interests include metal matrix composites, non-conventional machining processes, additive manufacturing, and sustainable materials processing. Dr. Sarmah has held academic and research positions at reputed institutes and contributed to several sponsored projects focused on energy and materials innovation. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed international journals, conferences, and edited books, with an h-index of 6, over 21 research documents, and around 102 citations. His editorial and peer-review roles in recognized journals demonstrate his scholarly influence in the engineering community. He has co-edited books with global publishers such as Elsevier and De Gruyter, contributing to advancements in hybrid and intelligent manufacturing technologies. Through his research, Dr. Sarmah continues to promote innovation in machining and material development for industrial and sustainable applications.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications

Sarmah, P., Shailendra, P., & Gupta, K. (2025). Fabrication of novel hybrid AlSiC–ZrO₂ composites via powder metallurgy route and intelligent modeling for their microhardness. Ceramics, 8(3), 91–101.

Barman, P., Kalita, A., Sarmah, P., Bhattarai, S., Bordoloi, S., & Khalid, F. (2025). Governance strategies, policy measures, and regulatory framework for hydrogen energy in India: A comprehensive review. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 140, 505–518.

Gupta, K., Sarmah, P., & Shailendra, P. (2025). Analysis of recent research and innovations in vibration-assisted hybrid machining processes. Journal of Engineering and Technological Sciences, 57(2), 125–138.

Sarmah, P., & Gupta, K. (2024). Recent advancements in fabrication of metal matrix composites: A systematic review. Materials, 17(8), 4635–4649.

Sarmah, P., & Patowari, P. K. (2023). Machinability study of Al6063-based MMCs with SiC reinforcement particles using WEDM process. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 38(7), 783–796.

Maral Dyussebekova | Non-Ferrous Metals | Women Researcher Award

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Dr. Maral Dyussebekova | Non-Ferrous Metals | Women Researcher Award

JSC Institute of Metallurgy and Ore Beneficiation |  Kazakhstan

Dr Maral Adel’bekovna Dyussebekova is a metallurgical engineer and researcher with over 13 years of professional experience in the processing of copper-bearing raw materials. She currently serves as a Researcher at the JSC Institute of Metallurgy and Enrichment in Almaty, where her work focuses on the pyrometallurgical processing of copper-bearing sulfide concentrates and on developing smelting and slag-depletion technologies to minimise copper losses. Prior to this, she held quality-management roles in major Kazakh institutions (including at the Kazakh-British Technical University) where she oversaw laboratory transitions from standards to newer national calibrations. Academically, she holds a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering from Satbayev University and a Master’s degree from the Kazakh-British Technical University. Her research output includes peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings, such as “Study of the Effect of Fluxing Ability of Flux Ores on Minimizing of Copper Losses with Slags during Copper Concentrate Smelting”. Her h-index is 2, with a total citation count of 11. Her research interest covers smelting thermodynamics, slag and matte chemistry, flux ore behaviour, and resource-efficient processing of non-ferrous and precious-metal raw materials. She has contributed patents and industrial-applied studies, and seeks to bridge academic research and practical metallurgical engineering. In conclusion, Dr Dyussebekova is a dedicated applied researcher advancing sustainable and efficient copper processing technologies.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Dyussebekova, M., Kenzhaliyev, B., Kvyatkovskiy, S., Kozhakhmetov, S., & Semenova, A. (2022). Study of the effect of fluxing ability of flux ores on minimizing of copper losses with slags during copper concentrate smelting. Metals, 12(8), 1240.

Ospanov, Y. A., Kvyatkovskiy, S. A., Kozhakhmetov, S. M., Sokolovskaya, L. V., Semenova, A. S., Dyussebekova, M., & Shakhalov, A. A. (2022). Slag heterogeneity of autogenous copper concentrates smelting. Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly.

Kenzhaliyev, B. K., Kvyatkovskiy, S. A., Dyussebekova, M. A., Semenova, A. S., & Nurhadiyanto, D. (2022). Analysis of existing technologies for depletion of dump slags of autogenous melting. Complex Use of Mineral Resources, 4, 323.

Dyussebekova, M. (2020). Processing of various copper sulfide concentrates by Vanyukov smelting. Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Vocational Education (ICETVE 2020), 70–71.

Dyussebekova, M. A., Kvyatkovskiy, S. A., Kenzhaliyev, B. K., & Nurhadiyanto, D. (2021). Dependence of the increased content of copper and magnetite in the slags on the composition of the smelting products. Proceedings of the International Innovation Arsvot Malaysia (IAM2021), 387.