Particulars of organization, functions and duties

Objective/purpose of the public authority

The National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML) is an ISO 9001:2000 organisation offering its R&D products, processes and the expertise to the industries in the form of design, Consultancy, technical service, and testing in the areas of minerals, metals, materials including metallurgical wastes and pollutants. The Laboratory has its R&D activities in four theme areas under various projects including the CSIR Network and the New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI) programme. NML is also having an extension centre viz., NML Madras Centre, Chennai. The commercialisable outputs from the R&D in the above areas viz., Technology / Know-how; Evaluation / Survey reports; Test results etc. which are customer sponsored are directly delivered to them through its business Development and Monitoring (BDM) Division. BDM strives to centre a symbiosis between the R&D scientists, engineers of laboratory and scientific, academic, industrial, financial and engineering fraternity for their scientific, technical and commercial applications.

Mission / Vision Statement of the public authority

The Laboratory envisions a progressive enhancement of its resources, generation and acquisition of ‘Intellectual Property Assets' and strives to maximise the business of R&D meeting the customer requirements through maintenance of sustainable growth

Brief history of the public authority and context of its formation

The National Metallurgical Laboratory, the third in the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) family of 38 laboratories. The foundation stone of NML was laid on 21.11.1946 by the first and only Governor General of independent India, Shri C.Rajagopalachari. The laboratory was formally inaugurated and dedicated to the nation on the 26th of November, 1950 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru " in a sprit of hope and I faith in the future". The laboratory formed part of the great plan, which Sir Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar visualised in 1940, for providing India with a network of research institutes capable of taking the country forward in the Science & Technology. The establishment of the laboratory was generously supported, in cash and kind, by the Tata Industries Ltd., Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sardar Bahadur Sir Inder Singh of Indian Steel and Wire Products (ISWP) Company. Dr. Balraj Nijhawan, the first Indian Director of the laboratory, set the pace for the rapid growth of the laboratory through the establishment of a number of pilot plants and facilities and initiating research programmes which were in line with the Five Years Plans of the young Republic of India.

Duties of the public authority

To innovate, develop, transfer and standardise and provide specialised services such as Research and Development, Technology Transfer, consultancy and standards and quality to support the scientific and industrial growth and success in the areas of Metals, Minerals and Advanced Materials, by putting our experienced team of scientists and engineers and wealth of state-of-the art technology and facilities to work.

Main activities/functions of the public authority

Areas of R&D Activities
Industrial Processes

Mineral Beneficiaiton, Extraction of Metals, Development of Refractories / Ceramics, Process Optimisation and Modelling;

Engineering Materials

Synthesis and Development of Materials, Materials Forming Processes, Materials Characterisation

Resource and Environment Conservation

Waste Utilization, Secondary Metal Processing, Corrosion and Protection, Component Integrity Evaluation (CIEP) / Remaining Life Assessment (RLA), Pollution Control;

Scientific and Technical Services

Chemical Analysis, Material Characterisation, Testing and Evaluation, Failure Analysis, Engineering Consultancy, Calibration, Standard Reference Materials, Training & Certification, Hall Marking, R & D Management and IP acquisition

Field of Interest

Research and Development, Technology Development & transfer, Consultancy, Scientific and Technical Services in the area of Minerals, Metals & Materials

Specialised Expertise

Characterisation of minerals and ores. Methodologies for beneficiation of precious metal bearing lean ores. Design of transportable mineral characterisation facility and beneficiation plant for precious metal bearing lean ores.

Bio-technologies for mineral beneficiaiton and metal extraction. Solvent extraction / exchange technologies for the extraction of trace metals. Improved technologies for common metals and development of alloys for specific applications.

Technologies for nuclear grade magnesium metal and development of magnesium alloys. Innovative technologies for titanium extraction, and development of titanium alloys.

Application of Mechano chemistry concepts for controlling materials processing and improving the materials properties.

Advanced manufacturing techniques like technology of squeeze casting, and bulk amorphous alloys and wide amorphous ribbons.

A comprehensive expertise based on property optimisation by surface modifications and coating. A comprehensive expertise base on surface characterisation.

Single window based technology for engineering critical analysis. A web based comprehensive database on remaining life assessment and extension. A portable mechanical property determination equipment. Comprehensive characterisation of concrete materials and structures by non-destructive testing and evaluation. Electro-magnetic acoustic transducer for non-contraction destructive testing.

Computational facility and expertise base for modelling, signal analysis and risk analysis

Nano particle technology through bio mimetic route

Prevention of material degradation and environmental pollution.

Water testing and evaluation laboratory water and effluent treatment.

Pursue research in the area of micro- and nano- size bubble generation by novel methods and its application to flotation and waste treatment processes.

Thermodynamic Modelling and Computational Thermodynamics.

On nano-synthesis through electrochemical techniques and attrition milling.

Materials and processing methods for intermediate temperature fuel cells.

Certified Reference Materials

Hall Marking