Page 29 - Bullion World Volume 5 Issue 05 May 2025

Bullion World | Volume 5 | Issue 05 | May 2025

Session 5

Update on Research in Silver

at Leading Institutions of India

Prof. Nikhil Dhawan, IIT Roorkee, Dr Amol A Kulkarni, CSIR-NCL,
Mr Srivatsava Ganapathy, Eventell Global Advisory Pvt Ltd

The session served as a bridge between academia and industry, showcasing innovations in silver-based
technologies and their commercial viability.

CSIR-NCL Highlights – Dr Amol Kulkarni:
• Developed silver nanowires with 98% purity and reduced production
cost from $140/g to $8.7/g.
• Focus on conducting inks and printable electronics.
• Innovations include silver-coated silica and platinum-carbon catalysts
for hydrogen fuel cells.
• Licensing models allow full transfer, pilot demonstrations, and non-
exclusive terMs

IIT Roorkee Highlights – Prof. Nikhil Dhawan:
• Developed selective recovery methods for silver/gold from e-waste.
• Recovery rate: up to 300g silver per ton of PCBs.
• Uses AI and robotics for precision extraction without smelting.
• End-to-end commercialization support available, including plant scale-up.

Q&A Highlights:
• Both institutes confirmed environmental compliance is built into process
design.
• Licensing and consultancy models are flexible, especially for Indian firMs
• Collection of e-waste remains a bottleneck; standardization and public
buyback programs are needed.

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