JNARDDC develops CRM of aluminium metal under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’

By Kaushik Bhattacharya :

Following the steps of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative, Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC), Nagpur has developed the Certified Reference Material (CRM) of aluminium metal for indigenous use. A CRM is used for measuring and calibration of spectroscopic techniques for quality control. It is mandatory for the methods to be calibrated or standardised using CRMs with specific chemical composition for different grade sample to be analysed.

Usually, secondary aluminium (recycled aluminium) is contaminated as it uses aluminium scrap from various sources which lead to manufacturing of aluminium products with inferior quality product. This is a threat to the society and industry as well. Thus, characterisation of elemental composition is an obligation before melting or casting to ensure compositional prerequisite. CRMs are essentially required for calibration and cross verification of methodology adopted.

There are only a few suppliers of CRMs around the world who produces wide range of CRMs. Its producers in India are not up to the international standards with limited traceability and more over CRMs produced covers limited range of aluminium alloys. This poses difficulties to Aluminium recyclers/Analytical chemists in selection of CRMs appropriate for testing of their products and samples. Thus, there is an increasing demand for quality and affordable CRMs in the country due to growing primary, secondary and recycling industry. JNARDDC laboratory is accredited with NABL certificate for its chemical and mechanical testing of Aluminium metal. JNARDDC is well equipped to produce CRMs and make them available for Primary, Secondary aluminium producers and analytical laboratory in the country at an affordable price.

Dr Anupam Agnihotri, Director, JNARDDC constituted a team of scientists to execute the project within two years and personally reviewing the progress of project. R N Chouhan, HoD, Downstream, Dr Upendra Singh, HoD, Analytical, Jyoti Pendam, Junior Scientist, Sonali Thawrani, Scientific Assistant and a group of scientists are working hard in the project.