BIO DATA OF DR - Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar

BRIEF BIO-DATA OF DR. NURANI PARASURAMAN HARIHARA PADMANABHAN
1. Name DR. N.P.H. PADMANABHAN
2. Present Position MGM Chair Professor,
School of Minerals, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
(SMMME), IIT, Bhubaneswar 751 007
3. Position held before joining this
post
Retired with effect from 31-10-2011 from
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Hyderabad.
I was Head, Mineral Processing Division, BARC at the time of
retirement in the pay scale - Pay Band IV (37400-67000)
4. Present Grade and Scale HAG Scale in the Pay Scale (67000-79000)
5. Date of Birth 27-10-1949
6. Educational Qualifications
Course Board/University/Institution Year Class
S.S.C
B.Sc.(Chemistry)
BARC Training School Orientation
Course (13 th Batch)
M.Sc. (Chemistry)
M.Tech. (Metallurgical Engg.)
Ph.D (Metallurgical Engg.)
7. Positions/grades held since joining BARC
No. Designation, Organization and Place of posting From To
Scientific Officer (SC1), Ore Dressing Section, BARC, Mumbai
Scientific Officer (SD), Ore Dressing Section, BARC, Hyderabad
Scientific Officer (SE), Ore Dressing Section, BARC, Hyderabad
In Charge, Mineral Beneficiation Group A, Ore Dressing
Section, BARC, Hyderabad
Head, Ore Dressing Section (ODS), BARC, Hyderabad
Head, Ore Dressing Group, AMD, Hyderabad
Board of Secondary Education,
Tamilnadu
University of Madras
BARC, Mumbai
University of Bombay
Head, Mineral Processing Division, BARC, Hyderabad
Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
University of Mumbai
1
01-08-70
01-02-78
01-02-84
01-02-84
01-12-97
29-06-01
29-06-06
1965
1969
1970
1977
1987
1999
I Class
I Class
-
By Thesis
CPI = 10
By thesis
31-01-78
31-01-84
31.08-89
30-11-97
28-06-01
29-06-06
Till retirement

Professor, Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai 23-08-07
8. Professional Expertise
on 31-10-11
-
Development of mineral processing flow sheets for beneficiation of ores of atomic and
strategic minerals, including those of uranium, zirconium, niobium-tantalum, tin,
tungsten, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum etc.
Development of process flow sheets for beneficiation of beach sand minerals.
Development of process flow sheets involving chemical leaching of uranium ores.
Plant audit, material balancing and optimization and trouble shooting of operating mineral
beneficiation plants
Mathematical modeling and simulation of ore dressing unit operations, such as comminution
and classification, flotation and high gradient magnetic separation.
Liberation analysis, simulation of work index determination, locked cycles test-simulation.
Data reconciliation, data adjustment and error minimization, and meaningful interpretation.
Surface and interfacial chemistry related to mineral flotation and selective mineral flocculation.
Development of process flow sheet for recovery of uranium using hydrometallurgical route
involving acid and alkaline leaching, solid-liquid separation, purification by ion
exchange / solvent extraction and yellow cake precipitation followed by tailings and
effluent processing.
9. Professional and Research Experience and Projects handled since joining in 1970
Commissioning of by-products recovery plant (BRP) to recover molybdenum, copper and
nickel mineral values from Jaduguda uranium ore for Uranium Corporation of India
Limited (UCIL) at Jaduguda.
Recovery of uranium mineral values as a by-product from copper plant tailings of Singhbhum
by gravity concentration techniques for UCIL.
Improvement of uranium recovery from the plant tailings of copper concentrator plants of
Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) at Singhbhum by fine-gravity separation and high
intensity-high gradient magnetic separation for UCIL.
Development of process flow sheet for the recovery of molybdenite from Rakha copper
concentrate for Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL).
Studies on optimization of copper flotation recovery from Malanjkhand copper ore for HCL.
Design, development, testing and commissioning of proto-type superconducting high gradient
magnetic separator (BARC Inter-Divisional Project).
Studies on beneficiation of cassiterite from Bastar tin ores for Madhya Pradesh State Mining
Corporation Limited (MPSMC).
Studies on beneficiation of tungsten values from Degana vein type ore for Rajasthan State
Tungsten Development Corporation Limited (RSTDC).
Studies on beneficiation of wolframite ore from Burugubanda-Tapaskonda graphite-wolframite
ores for National Mineral Development Corporation Limited (NMDC).
Development of plant design and simulation software package for design of beach sand
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processing plants in collaboration with Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad (DAE
Coordinator for a BRNS Project awarded to ISM).
Studies on development of a novel process for recovery of uranium from Domiasiat uranium
ore (Departmental Project).
Studies on improvement of recovery of rutile in the mineral separation plants of Indian Rare
Earths Limited (IREL) at Chavara and Manavalakurichi for IREL and studies on
beneficiation of beach sand minerals from the sands of Bhimlipatnam for IREL.
Studies on beneficiation of beach sand minerals from the sands of, Kalingapatnam and
Bhavanapadu for Development of Mineral Resources and Technology Upgradation
Fund (DMRTDF), Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Studies on ultra-purification of clays using superconducting high gradient magnetic separator
to improve the brightness and reflective properties for Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM),
Regional Research Laboratory, Thiruvanathapuram (RRL-T) and several other clay
manufacturers.
IX Plan Capital Project, “Development of Novel and Synergistic Beneficiation Processes” as
Project Coordinator to develop synergistic process equipment such as magnetic
hydrocyclone and magnetic spiral for processing low grade and finely disseminated
uranium ores.
Plant-audit and material balance of the Jhamarkotra phosphate beneficiation plant of
Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals Limited (RSMML), Udaipur for process
performance evaluation and optimization and studies on the effect of variation in the
mill feed on the flotation behaviour carbonate minerals and its consequence on grade
and recovery of phosphate minerals from Jhamarkotra phosphate ore.
Guiding M.Tech. (Mineral Processing) students from PG Centre, Gulbarga University, Sandur
and University of Karnataka, Dharwar.
Process development studies on extraction of uranium from Tummalapalle (Andhra Pradesh)
ore by alkaline pressure leach technique (an industrial uranium extraction plant is being
set up based on the process developed).
Process development studies on extraction of uranium from Gogi (Karnataka) ore by alkaline
pressure leach technique (under serious consideration for setting up a uranium plant).
10. Other Professional Involvements
Was a regular Member of Materials and Chemical Engineering Group Board, BARC, Mumbai
from 01-12-1997 to 28-06-2001.
Was a Permanent Invitee to the Board Meetings of Indian Rare Earths Limited, Mumbai from
April 1998 to June 2001.
Was a Member, Board of Studies for M.Tech. (Mineral Processing), offered by University of
Karnataka, Dharwar.
Member, Tummalapalle Work Group, constituted by Department of Atomic Energy to go into
the techno economic feasibility of recovery of uranium values from the Tummalapalle
uranium ore deposit located in Dist. Cuddapah, Andhra Pradesh.
Member, Board of Studies for B.Tech. andM.Tech. Courses on Mineral Engineering, offered
by Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad.
Vice President, Indian Institute of Mineral Engineers, Jamshedpur during 2002-04.
Was a Member of Nuclear Fuels and Materials Groups Board till retirement on 31-10-2011.
Designed and taught the Course, Mineral Engineering for the BARC Training School-AMD
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Hyderabad Campus.
11. Membership of Professional Bodies
Life Memebr, Indian Institute of Metals, Kolkata.
Life Member, Indian Institute of Mineral Engineers, Jamshedpur.
Life Member, Indian Nuclear Society, Mumbai.
12. Major Events Organized
Organized National level one-day Discussion Meeting on ‘Mineral Beneficiation in India:
Present Status and Future Needs (MINBEN-97), in the capacity of CONVENER at
Hyderabad on November 24, 1997 under the aegis of Bureau of Research in Nuclear
Studies (BRNS).
Organized International Seminar on Mineral Processing Technology (MPT-2001) in the
capacity of CONVENER, with collaboration Ore Dressing Section, BARC and National
Mineral Development Corporation Limited, under the aegis of Indian Institute of Mineral
Engineers at Hyderabad during February 15-17, 2001.
13. Awards and Other honours
Scored a CPI 10 (out of 10) in the M.Tech course at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.
Hargopal Memorial Prize in Metallurgical Engineering for Best Thesis in Ore Dressing in the
Master’s Programme from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur in the year 1988.
Khare Award for the Best Paper entitled, “Studies on Flotation of Uranium Values from
Domiasiat Ore” by A.K.Singh, N.P.H.Padmanabhan, U.Sridhar and N.K.Rao,
presented in the National Seminar on Research and Process Development in Mineral
Preparation, organized by Indian Institute of Mineral Engineers, Jamshedpur, 1992.
Mineral Beneficiation Award for the contribution in the field of mineral processing, received
from Indian Institute of Mineral Engineers, during the International Seminar on Mineral
Processing Technology, MPT-2006, Chennai, 2006.
Group Achievement Award 2008 from Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India for
process development for the recovery of uranium from the Tummalapalle ore,
Cuddappah District, Andhra Pradesh, using an innovative alkaline pressure leaching
process.
14. Publications
Author and co-author of 100 technical articles in the categories
(i) Publications in refereed national international journals,
(ii) Presented in various symposia and published in the proceedings and
(iii) Reports of investigations, BARC Internal Reports etc.
List of selected recent publications is enclosed as Annexure
15. My interests in the last Five years before retirement
During the past 5 years, I have spearheaded the Ore Dressing Section (ODS) under BARC
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and Ore Dressing Group (ODG) under AMD in very Projects of importance and great
relevance to our Department.
Since attempts are being made to open new mines outside Singhbhum area and since these
ore have characteristics much different from the Jaduguda ore, the technology has to
be developed for the extraction of uranium from these ores by laboratory studies
follwed by pilot plant studies to demonstrate the process and also to generate scale up
and other process engineering parameters. For this purpose, AMD is setting up a
Technology Demonstration Pilot Plant at UCIL Premises, Jaduguda and I am the main
Coordinator for the Project. The Officers of ODG are posted at TDPP for three months
on rotational basis. I am frequently visiting TDPP, Jaduguda and closely monitoring the
progress of the Project.
The Tummalapalle uranium ore deposit, discovered by AMD in the late eighties but discarded
due to the technological difficulties in the uranium extraction arising due to the
complicated mineralogy of the ore and nature of uranium mineralization was revisited.
I was guiding and coordinating the laboratory investigations carried out by our Group.
The ore contained nearly 83% carbonate gangue whichmade alkaline leaching
technique mandatory. Although it was difficult to obtain leachabilities higher than 75%
from this ore, experiments by our Group established that it is possible to precipitate
uranium values directly from the leach liquor, without going through ion exchange or
solvent extraction stages. For this, a cross current leach-filter-counter current wash
technique (CCLFCCW) was developed. On the laboratory scale the tests have been
quite encouraging. I have carried out the CCLFCCW initially in the laboratory in locked
cycle manner till the steady state is attained. The experimental results have been
critically analyzed and evaluated before any recommendation was made.
In view of the need to improve the resource position of the raw material, uranium for our
ongoing power programme, this process is being tested on a large scale at the
Technology Demonstration Pilot Plant (TDPP) with the active involvement of BARC,
AMD, UCIL and NPCIL. I am a key member from AMD looking after the Project.
This process also envisages complete recirculation and reutilization of the reagents making it
a zero liquor waste process, which will make the process environmentally attractive.
I am a Member of the Tummalapalle WorkGroup constituted specially for monitoring the
investigations and for evaluating the techno-economic feasibility of extraction of
uranium values from the Tummalapalle ore.
In addition, I have carried out leachability studies on ore samples from Gogi, Lambapur,
Peddagattu etc.
I have also studied the feasibility of recovering the heavy And industrial minerals from the
beach sands of Kalingapatnam, Bhimlipatnam, Bhavanapadu and Srikoormam- all
located in the eastern coast of Andhra Pradesh. I have been always interested in
modeling and simulation of the beneficiation process and I have synthesized flow
sheets for pre-concentration, concentrate upgradation and mineral separation using
numerical modling and process simulation. The simulation date has been verified a
number of times in the laboratory studies.
I have also been exposed to the recent management concepts during a sponsored executive
program at Jamnalal Bajaj Institue of Management, Mumbai to improve the
organizational effectiveness by motivation and leadership.
I was teaching the Mineral Engineering Course at the BARC Training School-AMD Hyderabad
Camus to the Trainee-Officers
16. Recent Publications - Given in Annexure
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