Akshat Jiwan Sharma

Lignocellulose has emerged as one of the most important material systems of recent times. It is a promising green platform that can be used in structural and functional applications. Wood has millennia of engineering history behind it—lignocellulose based materials are a natural evolution of wood engineered after extracting the raw material from wood/woody biomass itself.  Researchers have been able to tune the properties at the cellular level and learnt how to fibrillate wood into its constituents or apply steam and pressure to mold it like plastics. The paper and pulp industry has played a prominent role in helping us understand lignocellulose chemically and develop chemical tools to manipulate it.  Lignin, largely  a byproduct of paper and pulp , has been receiving a lot of attention by chemists not only because it constitutes 30% of mass of the plant materials but also because of its unique chemical properties —ring like structures and hydroxyl groups that can be func...

Quite an interesting discussion on materials sub-reddit today regarding the thickness of insulation and whether it relies upon material properties. Can we make insulating materials thinner? Exactly what physics is in play here?   Making insulation thick is inexpensive and does not add much weight either. Most of it is just air. And since air has very low thermal conductivity (.026 W/mK) it makes for an effective insulation. Aerogels work on the same principle: it's just a material frame for trapping lots of air ,of course with nano-scale pores suppressing conduction even further due to the knudsen effect.  But they are more difficult to manufacture , as compared to say thermal blankets which can be prepared by simple weaving.  Regarding physical limits — yes there is one. If we look at Fourier's law of thermal conductivity, it scales inversely with length. So a thinner insulation transfers more power than a thicker one of the same material.  And actually this pr...

I finally got an opportunity to meet Prof Rajesh Prasad in person this summer at IIT Delhi ,8 years after I first watched his lectures on materials science. It was by chance I stumbled across his video on composites when I was researching substrates for antennas. Fiber reinforced plastic came up repeatedly so I thought it wouldn't hurt to learn a bit more on this subject.  That was my first encounter with materials science. At that time I wasn't looking to go too deep, just learn enough to understand the systems that I was planning to work with. The idea was to build base stations with in house assembly and some quick engineering to attach components and protect them in a casing so that they could last a while. How hard could it be? Right? Only during the lockdown did I have enough time to take his full course.  My interest was in part because of my own desire to learn about materials — for engineering projects I had in mind but also because I wanted to break out o...

Advanced manufacturing, especially of functional materials, requires careful mapping of properties to the underlying microstructure. In technologies such as microfluidics,composites and electronics the features are either too small or too complex to be imaged using optical microscopes. Alternative imaging techniques are necessary so that the relation between material structure and materials properties can be understood.  X rays are an indispensable tool to look at micro and nano structure of materials both functional like electronics and structural like composites. Historically Xrays, since their discovery in 1895, have provided many breakthroughs in imaging that have enabled scientists to advance both material and medical fields. Bone imaging is the most well known application of X rays but the application of X ray diffraction also led to the confirmation of atomic structure in materials and the invention of x ray crystallography. This new technique was later used to i...

For something as common as water filtration ,the modern technology that enables it, is built upon some serious materials engineering.  Polymer fibers,the active components of any filtration process, are spun using special coaxial extrusion techniques into what are known as hollow fiber membranes.  These membranes are then submerged inside the semi-treated water tank or wound around a plastic core for a more compact arrangement as water is drawn through these hollow sections the tiny pores on the surface trap impurities —suspended solids,bacteria,viruses,protein molecules depending upon the pore size.  Achieving this pore size tuning is in itself a quite complex process that relies on phase inversion where polymer solvent is replaced by non solvent on the solution, dissolved polymer coagulates but is diluted by a non solvent that evaporates leaving behind pores in the main structure.  Ceramic membranes offer a different class of materials that are more rob...

I was glad to participate in this month's ASM advanced materials manufacturing committee meeting for a talk on Nickel Titanium alloys and its additive manufacturing process development via artificial intelligence and machine learning.  Dermot Brabazon Prof. at the Dublin City University and deputy director at I-Form ,the publicly funded institution leading Ireland's manufacturing innovation, presented the findings of his research group. NiTi alloys ,most famously Nitinol,are known for exhibiting super elasticity and shape memory effect ,which causes material to return to its original shape after being heated.  This has found several applications in the fields of medicine and actuation. The general processes of manufacturing NiTi alloys are now well developed however additive manufacturing introduces new challenges that are not present in traditional melt cast and heat treated products, that is process uniformity.  So while AM is successful in producing complex shapes wit...

May 15 2026 I thank ASM sustainable manufacturing committee for organising a highly informative talk by Dr Sweta Baruah on the topic of Materials Upcycling in Additive manufacturing.  As it stands AM is far more material efficient than traditional manufacturing processes— producing less waste than subtractive manufacturing techniques (milling/turning/drilling/grinding).  Yet feedstock cost in AM remains high due to energy intensive processes used in its manufacturing. Typical powderisation techniques using gas or water atomisation consume much energy as do wire extrusion processes.  The desire to cut down the input energy serves as a powerful motivator to develop processes that can lower the cost and make AM more sustainable.  Traditional melt processing technologies for making powder or wire help with the reusability of waste streams and reduce energy input because compared to fresh feedstock there is no need for crushing ,chemical treatment,reduction etc.  Yet...

I thank the Department of materials science and engineering @IIT Delhi for organising a highly informative talk on refractory alloys and CMC materials by professor Rahul Mitra.  Prof Mitra presented 2 metallic systems Mo-Si and Nb-Si. Both material systems possess high temperature oxidation resistance exceeding 1000°C. Glassy SiO2 layer formed on the surface being the primary oxidation inhibitor in both cases. As glass softens beyond 1200c it loses some of its oxidation resistant  properties limiting material used in Ultra high temperature environments.  These systems work but suffer from low fracture toughness that doesn't meet the standards required for aerospace components. Additionally neither Nb nor Mb are easily available and their processing also requires some complicated setup due to the high melting points of these alloys exceeding 2000c. Therefore it becomes important to keep searching for new materials. Diborides of Zr and Hf are contenders for ultr...

27 Mar 2026 I thank the ASM Advanced Materials Manufacturing Technical Committee for organising a very fruitful discussion on additive manufacturing aka 3D printing for complex military components.  It is no secret that armed forces require industrial support to operate. An entire military industrial complex builds tools necessary for the armed forces to function. While this does utilize the labour force  effectively through ‘division of labour’ it naturally creates logistical hurdles and dependencies to localized manufacturing ecosystems.  This is not inherently bad but some autonomy in manufacturing could make the armed forces more robust. Traditional manufacturing techniques leave no room for this. Casting,die forging,smelting need big factories and massive supply of energy to be economically feasible. 3D printing however makes remote manufacturing possible via layer by layer assembly of materials into complex parts. One simple machine can now do the work of an assembl...

Transmission lines play a critical role in electrical infrastructure. They help actualise the single most important feature of electrical energy. The ability to transport it over large continental scale distances. In recent years there have been concerns about a shortage of copper to meet the demands of transmission lines but there are 2 counter arguments to that.  First the total known reserves of copper are around 1 billion tonnes while the annual production is merely 23M tonnes. For a 1000KM long HVDC link only about 30 thousand tonnes would be required. 20MT of copper would suffice to meet all of 3TW of power required globally with plenty left as a backup for future demand. And that's just copper, there is even more aluminium which is quite close to copper in conductivity and could easily fill in gaps left by the copper supply chain. If all else fails there is always steel. It has 50 times lower conductivity than copper but even then it's good at high voltages. There is an ...

17 March 2026 I thank Infineon technologies for organising the hotly anticipated, annual, wide band gap developer forum for a discussion on cutting edge research and latest developments related to SiC and GaN semiconductor devices.  Electrification is seen as one of the most effective ways of bringing down global greenhouse gas emissions and enabling transition to a green economy.  However, unlike carbon based energy sources electrical energy generation, transmission ,distribution and its final application is far more complicated than simple extract, transport and burn processes of fuels.  These require functional materials that have very specific properties which can be applied to a particular stage in electrical energy use. Magnets for energy generation, Electrical steel for voltage transformation,copper or Al for energy transmission and of course all sorts of resistors,inductors and capacitors for managing & manipulating the flow of energy.  Another complicati...

I thank the Indian ceramics society for hosting a Webinar Series titled "Global Connect: Ceramics & Beyond", featuring monthly online lectures by distinguished global experts in the field of ceramics and materials science. INCERS has provided researchers in the country a great platform to learn from and network with global experts in the field of ceramics.  It was a pleasure for me to attend the 11th lecture in this series on polymer derived ceramics as this is an area that I'm immensely interested in. Dr Günter Motz gave an hour long presentation comprehensively covering critical aspects of PDC technology from synthesis of polymers to their final processing as they are converted into hard ceramics.  PDCs have been applied in the biomedical,aerospace, electronics & coatings industry. Anywhere a combination of high strength,high temperature oxidation resistance & high hardness becomes important PDCs shine. The key advantage of PDC is  that they can be transform...

  13 Feb 2026 At the International Conference on Composite Materials, Design and Engineering in IIT Delhi, it was a great privilege for me to be learning from scholars sharing their findings in the field of composite materials. More than 100 papers were presented over a period of 3 days making the conference one of the most productive ones that I have ever had the honor of attending.  Composite materials have already revolutionised the field of materials science. GFRPs are used everywhere from aerospace to circuit boards and sports equipment. Carbon fibers are being seen as promising future materials if the cost of production could be managed.  Under load composite materials differ significantly from metals. Generally they are quite strong if fibers are aligned along the direction of the load. However they are prone to failure if load is applied transverse to the fiber orientation. This means that for fiber composites careful engineering is required which makes them somew...

I thank the University of British Columbia Faculty of forestry for organising The Third International Young Scientist Forum for Climate Change with the theme of Sustainable Development through Bamboo Resources. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to learn so much from the bright materials scientists working hard to make lignocellulose a viable alternative in structural and functional applications that goes beyond just laminated wood .  INBAR’s successful promotion of bamboo in Asia as well as in Africa and parts of EU has positioned bamboo as one of the most valuable biomaterials that can help achieve sustainability goals while providing a source of income to rural communities.  Bamboo has proven itself as a highly flexible material that can not only help uplift communities by enabling them to build handmade products like window blinders but also technical products such as fibers and reinforced plastics.  As a rich source of lignocellulose bamboo has immense potentia...

Attending the webinar on Decarbonising the European Glass Industry provided me an opportunity to connect with researchers working hard to make glass production more sustainable.  Glass is one of the most important materials that enables several critical technologies powering the world. Fiber optic cables,displays, scientific equipment,lenses and of course windows. Every year nearly 150 million tonnes of glass is made. Therefore it is essential that we find ways to produce glass in a more eco-friendly way. The European Innovation council has been leading the effort in this space by funding research projects like H2 glass, Everglass and GIFFT in collaboration with industrial partners like Schott,PlasmaAir and several universities throughout the region.   One strategy is to reuse and recycle existing glass. Here innovations like localised melting with lasers are making the process cheaper as compared to full melt processing but concerns about gathering waste glass remains. ...

30 NOV 2025 I thank the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization(INBAR) for organising a series of  online seminars towards mainstreaming bamboo construction.  It's undeniable that the advancements in the construction industry have made affordable housing possible for billions of people. Cement is the single most important material that has made this happen.  The key ingredients of cement are widely available and generally well distributed. Strategically nations are not dependent on imports and can source all the raw materials required to manufacture it domestically.  Environmentally though the construction industry through its use of cement and steel is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gasses and also one of the biggest consumers of energy. But much of it is offsetted by the fact that constructions last for several decades and maybe centuries so short term increased energy consumption is going to lead to lesser use in the future.  The search for ne...

Construction industry has been trying to decarbonise but what materials can actually help it do that? It's a tough question.  Both concrete and steel almost seem indispensable.  Replacing steel is incredibly difficult in the construction industry.Some efforts have been made in substituting bamboo for steel.  Bamboo seems to offer a solution but bonding with concrete is a concern as many studies show & its true that hurdles remain even after a good bonding is achieved.  https://www.linkedin.com/posts/inbar-official_bamboo-reinforced-concrete-yes-or-no-bamboo-activity-7392199106464579584-c-W8?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAFNUr14BhT_6QYbNwdSgEVLcmX2XizbONxk But alternatives exist. One such proven technology is Mechanically stabalised earth in which soil is stabalised with horizontal grids to improve it's shear strength through friction.  Soil already has excellent compressive strength and by minimising its failure in shear it can ...

Research has been promising but skepticism remains due to the variable nature of lignocellulosic materials raising concerns about the reproducibility of carbon. Are plant based materials inherently unique in their chemical makeup that makes process control difficult? Many seem to believe so.  In lignocellulosic derived carbons what matters is the fraction of lignin,hemicellulose and cellulose in the mix. Different fractions will alter the composition of derived carbon / nanosheets slightly.  For example if a 130 day old peapod has higher lignin content it will have different characteristics than a 100 day old peapod.  So yes the results will be variable but they are not that hard to predict.  Example: Carbons derived from mature wheat straw (after crop is harvested) would have similar properties because wheat stops growing after a certain period. No more lignin or cellulose is deposited in the cell walls.  Same for jute ,coconut husk,flax  or sugarcane baga...

  There is ongoing debate about the exact mechanisms that cause diamond formation in the microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) process. While it’s well established that methane (CH4) and hydrogen (H2)are the key gases Hydrogen etches away non-diamond (sp2) carbon, while carbon from CH4  contributes to diamond (sp3) growth.  Yet the exact carbon-containing species responsible for diamond growth ,whether CH3 radicals, C2 dimers, or other species are the dominant contributors are not known. It's also not clear what surface reactions and growth mechanisms contribute to growth and how these species attach to diamond surfaces and stabilize sp3 bonds. While the general scheme is agreed upon, the precise atomic and plasma-chemical pathways that make diamond grow in MPCVD[2] are still a topic of active research and debate. Here's what I think happens: Hydrogenation of carbon structures adds H atoms to carbon.This process promotes sp3 hybridization in formerly sp2 ,sp ...

Incorporating hard materials like diamond or carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into steel presents unique challenges, particularly when using traditional melt processing techniques. Diamond, for example, is extremely difficult to integrate into steel via melting due to its thermal instability. However, diamond is routinely embedded in steel surfaces for cutting applications. In the electronics industry, steel wires coated with diamond are used to slice silicon crystals into thin wafers. Two main techniques are commonly employed for embedding diamond in metals: 1. Electroplating: Diamond powder is suspended in a metal ion electrolyte, usually nickel. When an electric current is applied, nickel deposits on the metal wire, trapping the diamond particles in place. 2. Sintering: For more demanding cutting tools, diamond can be embedded on metal surfaces using sintering, which fuses the particles to the substrate at high temperatures without melting the metal. Similar challenges exist when attempting ...