Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3)

Abbreviation	IOM3
Formation	2002
Legal status	Non-profit organization
Purpose	promote the science, design, engineering and technology of materials, minerals and mining and their practical applications and facilitate qualifications, professional recognition and development, and to deliver knowledge, information and networking services to a global membership and wider community.
Location	297 Euston Road, London, NW1 3AD
Region served	Worldwide but predominantly UK and Europe
Membership	Academics and industrialists across the Materials, Minerals and Mining sectors
Chief Executive	Colin Church
Main organ	IOM3 Council
Website	iom3.org

The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) is a UK engineering institution with activities encompassing aspects of the materials cycle including exploration, extraction, characterisation, processing, forming, finishing, application, product recycling and land reuse. Its stated goal is to promote and develop all aspects of materials science and engineering, geology, mining and associated technologies, mineral and petroleum engineering and extraction metallurgy, as a leading authority in the worldwide materials and mining community.

It is a registered charity governed by royal charter. In 2021 had a gross income of £3.86million.^[1][2] The institute is also a member of the UK Science Council.

In 2019 the institute celebrated 150 years since the establishment of the Iron and Steel Institute, a society that IOM3 now encompasses.^[3]

Structure

Having resided at Carlton House Terrace off Pall Mall in St James's in central London since 2002,^[4] the institute moved to 297 Euston Road on 30 June 2015. The organisation has its education, marketing and knowledge transfer office in Grantham, and its Membership office in Stoke on Trent.

Members of the institute come from a variety of backgrounds, from students to company chief executives. Members qualify for different grades of membership, ranging from Affiliate to Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (FIMMM),^[5] depending on academic qualifications and professional experience. IOM3 has an individual membership of over 18,000, and represents a combination of scientific, technical and human resources which links industry, government, research and the academic world.

Almost 60 UK 'local societies' are affiliated with the institute, covering a wide range of disciplines including ceramics, composites, mining, packaging, polymers and metallurgy, and organising events throughout the year.

History

The institute's roots go back to the Iron and Steel Institute. In 1869, ironmaster William Menelaus convened and chaired a meeting at the Midland Railway's Queen's Hotel in Birmingham, West Midlands, which led to the founding of the Iron and Steel Institute, which received its royal charters in 1899. Menelaus was its president from 1875 to 1877, and in 1881 was awarded the Bessemer Gold Medal.

In 1974 the Iron and Steel Institute merged into the Institute of Metals. The Institute of Metals then merged in 1993 with The Institute of Ceramics and The Plastics and Rubber Institute (PRI) to form the Institute of Materials (IoM). The PRI was itself a merger of The Plastics Institute and the Institution of the Rubber Industry (known as the IRI) during the 1980s, a reflection of the declining UK rubber manufacturing industry during this period.

IOM3 was formed from the merger of the Institute of Materials and the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy (IMM) in June 2002.

More recent mergers include the Institute of Packaging (2005), the Institute of Clay Technology (2006) the Institute of Wood Science (2009) and the Institute of Vitreous Enamellers (2010).

List of presidents ^[6]

Function

The institute ensures that courses in materials, minerals and mining technology and engineering conform to the standards for professional registration with the Engineering Council UK, establishes codes of practice and monitors legislative matters affecting members' professional interests.

The professional development programme run by the institute helps contribute to members' career enhancement towards senior grades of membership and Chartered Scientist (CSci) and Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.

Members benefit from reduced rates for the institute's many books, journals and conferences and from access to the institute's Information Services. These include extensive library resources as well as a team of materials experts who provide consultancy services to Institute members, and to companies who have joined the institute's Industrial Affiliate Scheme.

Activities

The institute provides a range of activities and initiatives to benefit the materials and mining community.

The institute's educational activities aim to promote the materials discipline to younger generations by allowing access, through the Schools Affiliate Scheme, to a range of educational resources and materials. The institute has very close links with schools and colleges and is responsible for accrediting university and college courses and industrial training schemes. The Education Department offers teachers courses and teaching resources on materials, as well as careers advice for students. Many Institute publications such as definitive textbooks are available to students at reduced prices. The institute also offers a series of grants and bursaries to encourage students, and organises events such as the Young Persons' Lecture Competition.

Awards

The IOM3 grants several awards including:

Bessemer medal awarded in 1904 to Robert Hadfield

• Fellowship: Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (FIMMM)
• The Bessemer Gold Medal is an annual prize awarded by the institute for "outstanding services to the steel industry". It was established and endowed by Sir Henry Bessemer in 1874. It was first awarded to Isaac Lowthian Bell in 1874. The 2016 award was to Alan Cramb.^[9]
• The Silver Medal is awarded annually to an outstanding young scientist (under the age of 35) in recognition of an outstanding contribution to a field of interest. In addition the institute has many other significant awards for Personal Achievement and Published Works covering materials, minerals and mining. In particular there are awards covering surface engineering, biomedical materials, ceramics, rubber and plastics, iron and steel and automotive areas. There are also awards covering education and local societies. Details can be accessed here.^[10]

See also

• List of mechanical engineering awards

References