Scope of pilot plant research and development at the National Metallurgical Laboratory

Abstract

This paper gives a general appraisal of the scope of pilot plant research and development in relation to the phenomenal growth of mineral and metal industries the world over, embodied in the famous dictum "Commit your blunders on a small scale and make your profits on a large scale". The importance of pilot plant research and development work has now been recognised in the general industrial development plans in this country. An outline of the pilot plant scale investigations currently underway and those under establishment at the National Metallurgical Laboratory has been given and reference made to expansion projected in these fields during the Third Plan period. Reference is also made to the low shaft pilot plant now under operation for the production of iron using non-metallurgical sub-standard grades of coals and fuels and others relating to the electrolytic production of manganese and manganese dioxide, mineral and thermal beneficiation of ores, aluminising of steels, production of standard ferro-alloys, refractories and magnesium. It is observed that the progress so far has been steady and rewarding whilst much more remains to be accomplished in diverse fields during our successive Five Year plans. The paper concludes with a reference to some aspects of pilot plant investigations in iron and steel technology and industry, such as smelting of iron and ferro-alloys in low shaft furnaces, oxygen and side-blown converter steel-making techniques, continuous casting of steel, steel plant refractories, etc., in relation to current and projected research and development work at the National Metallurgical Laboratory. (Dr. B.R. Nijhawan, Director, National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur)