A BRIEF NOTE ON IIT-BHU-IRMA CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE IN REFRACTORIES
Background: The Need for An Independent Laboratory of Indian Refractory Industry:
The refractories laboratories available in India are either research Institutes or in house laboratories engaged generally in research or quality control functions. There is longer lead time for some and conflict of interest with others makes it difficult to get any product tested independently and in a time bound manner.
In today’s' world, designers of refractories materials, equipments using refractories, purchasers and even refractory manufacturers need independent reliable testing of materials either to be used by them or produced by them. In certain cases the users insist to get the materials tested in overseas laboratory E.g. DIFK Germany, Ceram UK etc. It is costly and time consuming . A change in testing procedures some times leads to conflicts, generally resolved by intense communication. It is therefore essential that an independent laboratory be set up in the country which would have extremely high accuracy level, having modern equipments for testing as per procedures of all international specifications and provides quick results as per need of the test and industry.
Objectives of the Centre:
- Set-up and run an Indian competence centre for refractory materials and technologies
- The promotion of education and further training in the field of refractory.
- Talent programmes and give awards to the students for scientific work in the field of refractory which at present, are organized by the IRMA.
- Steering of standardization activities.
List of Equipment Procured/In the Process of Procurement:
| Chamber Furnace Muffle Furnace 1350 (Chemical Analysis) | HMOR Tester |
| OKAY Make High Temp Chamber Furnace 1600 Deg C | Fume Hood |
| Hot Air Oven | Carbon Monoxide Resistance Tester |
| Mu Compression Testing Machine with Automatic Pace Rate Controller, | Hobart Mixer |
| Analytical Balance Make Mettler Toledo | SINEX Vibrating Table |
| Bench Top Laboratory pH meter - Make EUTECH | PCE Furnace & RUL Furnace |
| Spectrophotometer-Make : SHIMADZU, Model: UV-1800 | P.C.E and R.U.L TRANSFORMER |
| Chamber Furnace 1400 Deg C: OKAY Model 40C-42Y | Thermal Conductivity (Hot Wire) |
| Porosity Balance | Dilatometer |
| Flame Photometer | Digital Electronic Balance |
| Furnace for testing Spalling Resistance- Qty. – | Sample drilling machine with diamond drill |
Plus other standard equipment, chemicals, glassware etc needed for chemical and physical testing.
Centre Operation:
Technicians of the Excellence Center are well trained for each of the tests. Laboratory in – charge would be the contact person for all the activities of Excellence Center. Results generated by the Excellence Center are vetted by a senior refractory technologist.
For details, please contact:
Dr. Santanu Das, Ph.D.,
Coordinator,
IIT(BHU)-IRMA Center of Excellence for Refractories,
Indian Institute of Technology (BHU),
Varanasi-221005 Uttar Pradesh, India
Email: coordinator.irma@iitbhu.ac.in
Phone: +91-542-716-5161 (O)
