The Mining and Metallurgy Research Unit (URMM) is attached to the Industrial Technologies Research Center (CRTI) under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS) which is a Public Scientific Establishment and Technology (EPST). The URMM is created by the Ministerial Decree N°. 242 of March 3, 2022, amending and supplementing the Ministerial Decree N°. 23 of April 4, 2006.
The main mission of URMM is the implementation of research programs relating to the development of industrial technologies in the fields of mining and metallurgy. The research projects supported by the URMM focus on the development and exploitation of resources in raw materials, extractive metallurgy, ceramics, metallurgy of ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, thermomechanical treatments, biomaterials and surface engineering. Thus, they embraces other areas such as automation, monitoring and control of industrial systems and products.
The URMM is mainly responsible for:
- Conduct research projects for the benefit of the development of industrial technologies, in particular the optimization of treatment and recovery processes for ores and industrial co-products ;
- Study, develop and produce new high-performance materials and alloys for different industrial applications ;
- Master the material shaping processes
- Develop approaches and methods for automation, control, diagnosis and maintenance of industrial installations ;
- Ensure the quality control of steel and mining products.
Currently, URMM, headquartered in Sidi Amar, Annaba, has three research divisions:
- Research Division: Exploitation and Transformation of Ores (DETM);
- Research Division: Metals and Alloys (DMA);
- Research Division: Control of Industrial Systems and Products (DCSIP).
- and also has a Testing, Characterization and Measurement Workshop (AECM).