R. Balasubramaniam

Professor, Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering

Areas of Research

Corrosion

High Temperature Oxidation

Materials-Hydrogen Interactions

Indian Archaeometallurgy

Materials Characterization

Materials-Hydrogen Interactions

Hydrogen Storage Materials

MmNi5 based systems
Pd alloys
Pd-ceramic composite systems


Hydrogen Embrittlement

Al-Li alloys
Iron aluminides
Titanium aluminides
Composite systems (Cu-Al2O3, Pd-oxide,Al-Al2O3 )
Stainless steels
High tensile steel wires


Hydrogen Diffusion

Al-Li alloys
Stainless steels
Titanium aluminides
Iron aluminides
Nickel
Passive films on engineering alloys
Oxides


Hydrogen Thermodynamics

Metals (Pd, Pd alloys, Nb)
Intermetallics (Pd3Mn and MmNi5)
Pd-Al2O3 composites


Hydrogen Transformations

Hydride formation and decomposition
Hystersis in transformations
Energy dissipation processes
Strain accommodation processes
Interfacial curvature effects
Finite element method application


Hydrogen Effects in Advanced Materials

Aircraft alloys
Iron and titanium aluminides
Composite materials


Hydrogen Site Occupancy

Intermetallics (Pd3Mn, Fe3Al)
Composites (Pd-Al2O3, Al-Al2O3)


Hydrogen-Defects Interactions

Hydrogen trapping at interfaces
Hydrogen trapping in stress fields
Hydrogen-dislocation interactions
Hydrogen-vacancy interactions

Environmental Degradation of Materials

Corrosion

Corrosion of Al-Li alloys
Advanced intermetallics (iron aluminides)
Coatings
Composites
Galvanic corrosion
Delhi iron pillar


High temperature Oxidation

Intermetallics (titanium and iron aluminides)
Cemented carbides
Ni-base superalloys
Modeling of oxidation behaviour


Wear

Al-based metal matrix composites

Archaeometallurgy

Delhi Iron Pillar

History
Manufacturing methodology
Lead in the pillar
Soil corrosion of pillar
Galvanic corrosion with lead coating
Evidence for lead solders,
Decorative bell capital
Mixed potential theory for corrosion resistance
Corrosion in presence of slag particles
Protective passive film nature
Characterization of characterization rust
Astronomical significance
Mathematical significance
Cannon ball strike


Bronze and Brass metallurgy

Corrosion
Bronze disease
High tin bronzes
Harappan copper

Ancient Indian iron technology

Slag thermodynamics
Forge welding
Carburizing
Dhar iron pillar

Research