Artificial Intelligence in Chemical Industry - IV : Materials

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Materials

It might take a decade or more for the AI scenarios described above to be turned into reality. The most immediate impact of AI is likely to be in the area of materials, more specifically on how materials are discovered and synthesised. Historically scientists have stumbled upon new materials by accident. It has taken several years before their properties were fully understood and the material was put to commercial use. Graphene, touted as a wonder material, is still floundering 13 years after its discovery. AI is poised to turn around this process, putting application first and synthesis second. Material databases containing hundreds of thousands of compounds are now available. Properties of these “yet to be made” compounds are in the process of being predicted. AI based systems will zero in on a specific candidate in these databases to meet the required application. Such tailor-made materials will rule our future in energy, healthcare, transportation and many other areas.