Research
Microstructure, texture and properties — engineered by design
Focus areas
What the group works on
Thermo-mechanical Processing of Al Alloys
Warm forming, severe plastic deformation (ECAP, cryo-processing) and micro-alloying (Ag, Sn) of Al–Mg–Si, Al–Zn–Mg–Cu and Al–Cu–Li alloys for lightweight automotive and aerospace structures.
Crystallographic Texture
Texture evolution during deformation, annealing and welding, and its link to plastic anisotropy (r-value) and mechanical response — studied with EBSD and through-thickness texture analysis.
High-Entropy Alloys
Phase stability, high-temperature behaviour and additive manufacturing of high-entropy alloys and oxides, including thermal-barrier systems and HEA-based multifunctional composites.
Composite Materials
Aluminium-, copper- and magnesium-matrix composites reinforced with SiC, graphite, CNT and TiB₂, processed by powder metallurgy, stir casting and spark plasma sintering for wear and braking applications.
Machine Learning for Materials
Supervised and ensemble models for phase prediction in HEAs, hardness and strength prediction in Al alloys and steels, and NSGA-II based multi-objective alloy design.
Coatings, Joining & Biomaterials
Hot-dip aluminising, HVOF, cold spray and duplex plasma treatments; FSW, EBW and laser welding; porous titanium implants and electrospun / 3D-bioprinted tissue scaffolds.
Impact
Research towards sustainability
Lightweight alloys & composites
High-strength Al alloys developed through micro-alloying, severe plastic deformation and texture control, and SiC-, graphite- and CNT-reinforced Al composites for braking systems, reduce vehicle and aircraft weight — and hence fuel use and emissions.
Durability & life extension
Hot-dip aluminised, HVOF, cold-sprayed and duplex plasma-treated coatings, high-entropy-oxide thermal-barrier coatings and failure analyses of power-plant and petrochemical components extend service life.
Data-driven, low-waste design
Machine-learning models for HEA phase prediction and property prediction in Al alloys, dual-phase and TWIP steels, combined with NSGA-II optimisation, cut the number of trial melts in alloy development.
Resources & circular economy
Studies of energy and environment in non-ferrous metallurgy through industrial metabolism, gaseous emissions in extraction, metal recovery from e-waste and PTT-based green composites.
Society
Research for health and livelihood
A significant part of the group’s research addresses human health and well-being: porous titanium and cenosphere-dispersed titanium composite foams for orthopaedic implants — validated through in-vivo bone–tissue interface studies and protected by an Indian patent (2019) — and surface functionalisation of Ti alloys using plant-derived bioactive molecules. With biomaterials collaborators, the group has produced electrospun and 3D-bioprinted cellulose–collagen and chitosan–hyaluronic acid scaffolds for wound healing and bone and skin regeneration, and studies high-entropy alloys and biodegradable Zn–Mg alloys as next-generation implant materials. The aim is low-cost, indigenous implant and wound-care materials affordable to Indian patients.
Industry
Consultancy & research themes
- ◆Development of a novel Al-based metal matrix composite with hybrid reinforcement
- ◆Additive manufacturing of high-entropy alloys
- ◆Texture evaluation and mechanical properties during EBW and rolling of pure Nb
- ◆Correlating microstructure, mechanical properties and crystallographic texture of UFG Al–Li alloy
- ◆Characteristics and bio-compatibility evaluation of porous titanium for biomedical applications
- ◆Effect of Ag and Sn in EN AW 7075 alloy during artificial ageing
- ◆Estimation of tribological properties and thermo-mechanical response of Cu–TiB₂ MMCs
- ◆FSW and LBW for similar and dissimilar metal joints
- ◆Aluminium-based coating by hot dipping on steel