We are looking for partners to collaborate on a project under RAMP Call 2026 Topic 3 – Efficient and effective use of raw materials in design and production.
The project addresses dependence on critical raw materials (CRMs), supply and cost volatility, reliance on toxic carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) constituents, high environmental impact, and insufficient material circularity. The project aims to develop high-performance and environmentally sustainable hard materials (ceramics and cermets) with significantly reduced dependence on critical raw materials (CRMs), while implementing innovative approaches for material reuse and more efficient resource utilisation. The project will therefore develop material compositions and processing concepts that not only deliver superior performance but also enable efficient end-of-life recovery and regeneration of valuable constituents, supporting the transition towards a circular and resilient European hard-materials value chain.

Tallinn University of Technology is a leading university in Estonia. Our Department is the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. The R&D activities of the research group have been focused mainly on the Co- and Ni-free WC-based cemented carbides hardmetals with alternative (considering critical materials supply, environmental safety and healthcare aspects) Fe-based metallic binders; W-free, TiC- and Ti(C,N)-based cermets with alternative Fe-based binders; ceramic-matrix composites based on refractory compounds of Ti; Fe-based composite hardfacings with ex situ and in situ synthesized carbide reinforcements; thin hard coatings; technology of additive manufacturing of hardmetals and cermets, recycling technology of materials and products. The research group has all necessary equipment for powder preparation, hot consolidation and characterisations