Ingenuity and Innovation—The Hallmarks of Brimacombe's Pioneering Contributions to Process Engineering

Keith Brimacombe is remembered as one of the innovative giants in materials process engineering in the twentieth century. His impact stretches across diverse areas ranging from gas injection and flash smelting in nonferrous pyrometallurgy, on the one hand, to the continuous casting of steel, microstructural engineering, and rotary kilns on the other. Among his formidable research accomplishments, his contribution to steel processing stands out. It was an area which challenged him and from which he gained enormous intellectual satisfaction. In this article, Dr. Brimacombe’s remarkable contributions to steel research are reviewed to reveal his ingenuity and innovation, which were hallmarks of his efforts. These qualities had a profound impact, not only on the quality of his research discoveries, but also on the people he mentored, the discipline of materials process engineering he fostered, and on institutions spanning universities, industry, professional societies, and government. How did he accomplish so much in such a short time? What can we learn from his example? We learn that it is not time, but creativity and dedication to the goal, that matters. We learn while Dr. Brimacombe possessed remarkable creative genius, it can be taught and fostered in individuals in our universities, in industry, and in society. We learn that breaking down barriers between artificial disciplinary boundaries, between institutions, and, most importantly, between people is critical in fostering ingenuity and innovation. We learn that enhancing communication through discourse and debate, recognizing and rewarding excellence, and creating the right culture in an organization is paramount. Above all, we learn that people are our most valuable resource. The importance of these lessons for universities, industry, and professional societies, at this time of immense technological and social transformation, will be explored in this article. Brimacombe’s legacy and inspiring career are a beacon for us all as we manage change and steward this planet we call home.