Metalurgy Laboratory is mainly engaged in bridging know-why gaps in materials technology, giving impetus to import substitution and developing improved materials and processes for better performance. Characterisation of materials is carried out through fatigue creep and fracture studies to ensure that their performance conforms to international standards. Pioneering work has been done by this laboratory in developing methodologies for residual life assessment studies of power plant components through NDT techniques, SEM studies, residual stress investigations etc. Assistance of the Laboratory is often sought for solving metallurgical problems faced in the manufacturing units and power stations.


Major facilities:

	5 and 25 tonne closed loop servo hydraulic universal testing machines.
	Axial, rotary and reverse bending fatigue testing machines.
	Rigaku portable X-ray residual stress analysers.
	State of the art NDT equipment including multipurpose multichannel ultrasonic scanner, eight channel acoustic emission system, in-situ end ring scanner, C scan imaging system, multichannel eddy current system, portable x-ray radiographic equipment and crack depth meter.
	Scanning electron microscope with Image analyzer, EDXA and WDXA attachments.
	Advanced models of stereo and metallurgical microscopes.
	122 test point creep laboratory
	A battery of Mayes-Unisteel constant load stress-corrosion testing machines.
	Portable metallography equipment, hardness testers and alloy analyzer for carrying out investigations on in-service components.

Major Achievements:

	Indigenous development of high temperature creep resistant steels for boilers and turbines.
	Development of techniques and methodology for residual life assessment of power plant components.
	Development of alloys with improved wear resistance for application in power plant pulverisers.
	Application of shot peening process to improve corrosion fatigue and SCC resistance of critical power plant components.
	Application of laser hardening of steam turbine blades to resist erosion at their leading edges.
	Creep and other metallurgical studies to help in refinement of welding procedures of new boiler steels.
	Generation of high and low cycle fatigue data at elevated temperatures for steam turbine materials.
	In-situ eddy current testing of condenser tubes.
	In-situ ultrasonic examination of rotor bores and end retaining rings.

Major on-going programmes: