Advanced Carbon Products & Metrology

The advanced carbon products and metrology group is leading centre of India engaged in carrying out R&D in the area of advanced carbon materials, magnetic materials and thermoelectric materials  catering to the need of the country in the Industrial, Health, Energy as well as Strategic sectors like Defense, Aerospace and Nuclear power.

1. Carbon Materials for Energy generation and storage application

• Porous carbon paper
• Graphite based bipolar plate
• Carbon based thermoelectric materials
• Carbon materials for supercapacitor applications.

2. Carbon Nanomaterials

• Carbon nanotubes for polymer nanocomposite, light weight ballistic materials, CNT based flexible electrode materials, CNT based Bucky paper, strain sensing, CNT based thermoelectrics, CNT synthesis by CVD, CNT fibre/yarn by forrest spinning and aerogel spinning.
• Graphene: Single crystal graphene growth. Synthesis of AB stacked and twisted bilayer graphene

3. Conventional Carbon

• Coal tar pitch
• Conversion of biomass to biocoal
• Activated carbon from biomas

4. Carbon fibre composite for sports and other structural applications
5. Carbon fibre from coal tar pitch
6. Development of thermoelectric materials
7. Nanolithography and Nanodevice fabrication Additive manufacturing

1. Production of Carbon Fibers from Coal Resin, 01-04-2020 to 31-03-2022, Mission mode project of CSIR “Bulk Chemicals”.
2. Direct synthesis of carbon nanotube Yarn from chemical vapour deposition, Young scientist award Project 2017-2022
3. Conversion of waste biomass (crop stubble) and municipal solid waste (MSW) into biochar by torrefaction as useful raw material for co-firing in thermal power plant, 2018-2021, funded by NTPC
4. Development of light weight archery recurve bow limb using carbon fiber polymer composite, 06-09-2018 to 04-12-2020 funded by MSME
5. Characterization of coal tars, their conversion in to pitch and zero QI pitch and characterization of different qualities of pitches properties, 14-06-2018 to 30-09-2019, funded by Tata Steel Pvt. Ltd., Jamshedpur.
6. Feasibilities study on value added carbon products from coal tar, 03-02-2017 to 02-02-2018, funded by Tata Steel Pvt. Ltd., Jamshedpur.
7. Development of high density isotropic nuclear grade graphite, 23-05-2017 to 22-05-2019, Funded by BARC.
8. Establishing centre for ballistic material testing and MWCNTs based armour materials (Mission project)
9. Quantum dot embedded Porous Silicon templates for optical detection
10. Additive Manufacturing of Polymer Carbon composite materials
11. High-performance thermoelectric materials for high-temperature applications
12. Earth-abundant, non-toxic Silicides-based thermoelectric materials for mid-temperature energy generation applications
13. Stable thermoelectric materials for low and Mid Temperature energy generation applications
14. Development of Half-Heusler based and CoSb3 based Thermoelectric Materials

1. Coal Tar Pitch based Carbon Fibers Carbon fibers are important class of materials having superior properties than steel and aluminium and one forth of density than that of steel. It is used in number demanding applications due to its outstanding properties such high strength, High stiffness, High tensile strength, Low weight, High chemical resistance, High temperature tolerance, Low thermal expansion etc. There are two type of precursor of carbon fibers i.e. Poyacrilonitrile (PAN) and coal tar pitch. The cost of PAN precursor is 50% to that of carbon fiber cost. On the other hand coal tar pitch is low cost carbon precursor. Coal tar pitch is a complex mixture of phenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and hetero cyclic compounds and contains more than 80% carbon (PAN contains only 68% carbon) and its composition varies with the source of coal tar and the processing conditions. The coal tar pitch as precursor for carbon fiber manufacturing has advantages of low material cost, higher char yield, higher degree of orientation as compared to PAN. The coal tar pitch derived from coal tar is isotropic and by evaporating low molecular weight fractions from the coal tar pitch, derived isotropic pitch can be melt spun into low cost general purpose (low strength and low modulus) carbon fibers. To produce high performance fibers, anisotropic mesophase pitch is required. Mesophase pitch contains an appreciable amount of anisotropic phase or liquid crystalline phase and an isotropic phase. The technology for making suitable spinnable mesophase pitches and further processing for production of carbon fibers therefrom is quite complex. Therefore, it is essential to develop of mesophase pitches indigenously (from coal-tar precursors) for production of carbon fibers therefrom in the country. In this direction NPL is working on the development of isotropic and mesophase pitch precursor for carbon fiber production in batch scale to cater need of country.
2. Biomass Waste to Biocoal for Co-firing in Thermal Power Plant India is an agriculture-based country and it generates a lot of waste biomass from different sources. To dispose of it, generally, it is burned in the field as well as in forest land which creates a lot of environmental and socio-economic problems to humanity. Biomass is an environmental friendly energy source that has different advantages such as carbon neutrality, renewability, less sulfur, and huge availability within a small period (agriculture waste, municipal solid waste, and forestry waste). It is possible to reduce the overall greenhouse gas emission of an existing thermal plant by using agricultural biomass. However, there are inherent problems of agriculture waste biomasses compared to sub-bituminous coal fossil fuel resources, i.e., low bulk density, high moisture content, hydrophilic nature, and low calorific value, render it difficult to use on a large scale . These attributes greatly impact logistics and final energy efficiency. In order to reduce these inherent problems of biomass, it requires some form of pre-treatment, pre-treatment helps to alter biomass physical and chemical properties. Among the different techniques, torrefaction is simple process. Torrefaction is a slow pyrolysis process carried out at low temperatures, within a temperature range of 200–300°C in protective atmosphere. The torrefaction of biomass can not only solve the problem of open field burning but also torrefied biomass can be utilized in the co-firing with coal in the thermal power plants. NPL is working on this aspect and established torrefaction process pilot plant to carry out the torrefaction of different types of biomass and torrefied biomass having properties equivalent to sub bituminous coal which is used in the thermal power plant.
3. Electrospun Carbon Nanofibers Flexible Mat for Super capacitor Applications With depletion as well as continues use of traditional energy sources (fossil fuels), there is need to decreases carbon emission from earth environment to mitigate the problem associate with global warming. Therefore there is abrupt need of renewable energy sources for generation and efficient storage devices. Among various energy storage devices super capacitors have shown a strong potential due to their high-power density, superior cycling stability with the rapid charge-discharge rate. However, this technology faces some challenging issues like lower energy density and expensive fabrication process, due to which it has limited real-time applications in the field. Therefore, it is always desirable to enhance the energy density of super capacitors either by employing high-performance electrode materials and/or to use an electrolyte a wider operating potential window. NPL is working on the development of free standing flexible electrospun biopolymer based nanofiber electrode. Electrospun derived carbon nanofibers (CNFs) based free-standing mats as an electrode for super capacitors applications gain attention due to its unique three-dimensional network structure, good electrical conductivity, abundant porous structure, cost-effective and facile fabrication process.
4. Development of Carbon Fiber Polymer Composite Archery Bow To support MSME-Technology Development Centre (PPDC) sport complex, Meerut, UP, CSIR-NPL with MSME, PPDC is developing cost effective archery recurve bow. The archery bows have been used long back from prehistoric times for hunting and in warfare. New generation limbs are made of multilayer composite materials involving different layers like compression layer, tension layer and intermediate layer of high modulus material. The intermediate layer is made of polymer foam for providing high modulus. Considering the fact that limbs are main part in functioning on a recurve bow.
   

   Carbon fiber composite archery bow limb

5. Carbon Nanotube Paper Free-standing carbon nanotube paper (bucky paper) is a very important material for several applications, but its commercial production is still limited due to size, cost and properties. Herein, a process for in-house synthesized long length CNT based paper has been developed.
   

   (a) Fabrication system for preparation of CNT paper of size 35 cm x35 cm (b) digital images of CNT papers

   These CNT papers have been demonstrated in various applications.
6. Development of CNT Based Personal Armour Materials For the improvement of Kevlar properties, Kevlar-CNT paper interleaved epoxy hybrid composites have been developed with Kevlar and CNT paper alternatively. A 3-D interlocked Kevlar and Kevlar-CNT multiscale composite of size 15 cm x15 cm was prepared and high velocity projectile test (Type III-A) was performed. It was found that both the composite blocks, CNT bucky paper based Kevlar composites (KEBC) and without CNT bucky paper based Kevlar composites KE completely stopped the 9 mm FMJ bullet. But, in case of KEBCBlock, back face signature (BFS) reduced to an average value of 19.90 mm which shows the overall reduction of 23.63% over base line composite KEBlock. This study will be useful for development of light weight ballistic resistant helmet for security personals.
   

   Post failure Digital micrographs of (a) front, (b) rear and (c) lateral surfaces of Kevlar epoxy block and (d) front, (e) rear and (f) lateral surfaces of Kevlar epoxy –CNT Paper block following NIJ 0108.01 Level III-A

7. Development of Activated Carbon from Waste Jute Sticks Biomass A scaled up process with rotary furnace consisting 90 liter volume Inconel reactor which can sustain a temperature upto 900°C in strong acidic medium has been established. The activated carbon from waste jute stick biomass by physical and chemical activation method have been developed. A technological solution for the development of activated carbon from waste jute sticks biomass which can help in improving socio economic status of jute growing farmers in north eastern state.
   

   (a) Rotary furnace for production of activated carbon (b) Acid based activated carbon

8. Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube Fiber/Yarn/sheets In order to fully utilize the excellent properties of individual CNTs at a macroscopic level, the only way, as of now, seems to be through aligning them. A process for the synthesis of CNT yarn has been developed by the chemical vapor deposition set-up in the laboratory. A yarn of ~3 meter length has been spun and demonstrated as a conducting wire for lighting a 5W LED. These materials will be very important for the strategic sector where high tensile and impact strength along with low density is the prime requirement. This development should pave the way for developing large CNT based composites particularly for defense applications.
   

   (a) Oriented CNT sheet production set-up at CSIR-NPL, (b) 3 meter long Carbon Nanotube Fiber for Lighting 5 W LED, © ~500 mm long CNT strip, CNT fiber deposited on roller

9. Production of Carbon Fibers from Coal Resin, 01-04-2020 to 31-03-2022, Mission mode project of CSIR “Bulk Chemicals”. Carbon fiber is a versatile material and has several advantages including high stiffness, high tensile strength, high modulus, low weight, high chemical resistance, high temperature tolerance and low thermal expansion. Due to extraordinary properties, fibers have variety of application almost in every sector such as automobile, aerospace, civil engineering, military, motorsports, sports, medical, etc. Therefore, in this project, our aim is to develop a lab scale process technology for spinnable precursor materials, i.e. isotropic pitch (upto 2kg per batch) and mesophase pitch (upto 500g per batch) for making general purpose carbon fiber and high performance carbon fiber, respectively. Tensile strength of general purpose carbon fiber and high performance carbon fiber will be upto 1 GPa and 1-3 GPa, respectively. Tensile modulus will be 50-100GPa and 200-400GPa for general purpose carbon fiber and high-performance carbon fiber, respectively.
10. Feasibilities study on value added carbon products from coal tar, 03-02-2017 to 02-02-2018, funded by Tata Steel Pvt. Ltd., Jamshedpur. The coal tar pitch of different properties has been prepared from distillation of coal tar (provided by Tata Steel Pvt. Ltd., Jamshedpur) by optimizing the temperature and soaking time. Good quality mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) have been prepared from coal tar in under suitable conditions. Light weight and porous carbon foams have also been prepared by template method using high softening point modified pitch and semi-coke powder derived from heat treatment of coal tar pitch.  
    

    SEM image of MCMB

    

    Carbonized carbon foam

11. Feasibilities study on value added carbon products from coal tar, 03-02-2017 to 02-02-2018, funded by Tata Steel Pvt. Ltd., Jamshedpur. In this project, four different coal tar samples were received from Tata Steel Pvt. Ltd., Jamshedpur of different properties. These coal tar samples were first characterized for solubility in solvents, carbon content, viscosity, etc. and then converted into different binder grade and impregnating grade coal tar pitch of required properties by distillation process under suitable processing conditions and characterized for various properties.
12. Development of high density isotropic nuclear grade graphite, 23-05-2017 to 22-05-2019, Funded by BARC. Self-sintering carbonaceous semi-coke was prepared from heat treatment of coal tar pitch and compacted into isomoulds using cold isostatic press and then carbonized at 1000oC followed by graphitization at 2350oC in inert atmosphere of nitrogen in order to obtain high density graphite. These graphite samples were machined into test pieces as per ASTM. Isotropic graphite samples possessing density of 1.85±0.01 g/cm3, ash content of 0.016%, coefficient of thermal expansion of 5.58±0.12×10-6 /oC, flexural strength of 65±4.7 MPa, compressive strength of 117±8 MPa and flexural elastic modulus of 10±0.42 GPa.
    

    Graphite samples and test pieces machined from graphite, (A) rectangular samples for flexural strength, (B) disc for thermal conductivity, (C) cylindrical samples for compressive strength

13. High Quality Graphene Synthesis by Chemical Vapor Deposition Technique A custom-made CVD set up designed developed for growth of high quality single layer graphene. CVD growth of continuous and spatially uniform single layer graphene has been established by process of sequential melting-resolidification-recrystallization of copper substrate. Controlled CVD growth process has been developed for of twisted and AB stacked Bilayer graphene.
14. CVD growth of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes (VACNTs) and Its Yarn making
15. Quantum dot embedded Porous Silicon templates for optical detection Conventional silicon based photo detector is a good candidate for sensing in the range of 400 – 1100 nm wavelength of electromagnetic spectrum. The demand for near to deep UV detectors is ever increasing in satellite communication, electronic warfare, food and drug industry. Porous silicon (p-Si) formed by anodization has inherent photoluminescence and is a good host for several quantum dots. It can be a potential system for optical sensing over large spectrum from deep UV to IR. Integration of the sensor in to Silicon based electronic chip becomes easy due to established process of fabrication. The sensitivity of QDs to incident light of different wavelength can generate charge carriers required for optical detection. The QD embedded p-Si also serves as a substrate for fluorescence reflectance standards. Quantum dot embedded Porous Silicon templates for optical detection.
16. Additive Manufacturing of Polymer Carbon composite materials Since 3D printing is a very niche area and new domain, standards available for existing materials and processes are not sufficient and new global qualifications and certification norms have to be adapted. Hence it is a challenge to establish norms for industrial production, market acceptance and international trade. Even though ASTM has initiated Technical committees to deliberate and establish guidelines for AM, still it is in its infancy and there is a lot of scope, research and development for new methods and process. CSIR-NPL being NMI of India can play pivotal role in collaboration with MEITY for establishing all standards related to additive manufacturing and materials for the same. It can provide unbroken chain of measurements directly with primary standards for physicomechanical properties. NPL can also produce Bharatiya Nirdheshak Dravya (Indian certified reference material) of AM feedstock for industrial acceptance at national and international level.
17. Thermoelectrics CSIR-NPL has a state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials laboratory and has developed process technology to synthesize several thermoelectric materials, including SiGe alloys, Chalcogenides, Selenides, Silicides, etc. The thermoelectric group at CSIR-NPL is actively engaged in both basic and applied research on thermoelectric materials for clean energy generation and waste heat recovery applications. Our thermoelectric group developed the different process technologies to synthesize n- and p-type thermoelectric materials with record figure-of-merit. We have performed the several novel materials processing techniques, such as rapid solidification using melt-spinning, solid-state synthesis employing spark plasma sintering, liquid metallurgy using arc melting and mechanical alloying employing high energy ball milling. We have demonstrated the record value of thermoelectric performance in several materials utilising this strategy.

• Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)
• Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
• Thermo Mechanical Analysis (TMA)
• BET Surface Area, Pore Size Distribution and Pore Volume
• Instron Universal Testing Machine Model 5965, USA
• Dynamic Mechanical Analyser (DMA)
• UV-Vis Spectrophotometer
• Electrochemical Workstation with Impedance Analyzer
• pH/ ISE Meter with Fluoride Ion Selective Electrode
• Rheometer
• Renishaw in Via Raman Spectrometer
• Twin Screw Extruder (Micro Compounder for Small Sample Amounts)
• Haake MiniJet (Injection Moulding Machine)
• Twin Screw Extruder
• Continuous Nanofiber processing by Electrospinning
• Tribometer (Nanoindenter)
• CHNS elemental analyzer: It provides a means for the determination of Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Sulphur (CHNS) in the organic and inorganic matter. A wide variety of sample types like solids, liquids, and polymers can be analyzed for its CHNS content.
• Spark plasma sintering technique.
• X-Ray Diffractometer
• Field emission scanning electron microscope with EBSD facility
• Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity measurement facility used for electrical transport properties.
• Laser flash thermal diffusivity
• Differential Scanning Calorimetry
• Melt spinning unit
• Mini Arc melter (Single arc)
• Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (3.1 T)
• Pulse magnetizer and demagnetizer
• Thermoelectric Conversion Efficiency Evaluation System
• Hall Effect Measurement System (HEMS)

1. Process for the preparation of carbon fiber-carbon nanotubes reinforced hybrid polymer composites for high strength structural applications, B.P. Singh, S. Teotia, S.R. Dhakate, US Patent 10,400,074, 2019
2. Carbon nanotube-metal nanocomposites as flexible, free standing, binder free high performance anode for Li-ion battery, P.H. Maheshwari, Indu Elizabeth, B.P. Singh, Chanchal Gupta, R.B. Mathur, S. Gopukumar, US Patent 10,003,075, 2018

1. Carbon nanotube incorporated eucalyptus derived activated carbon-based novel adsorbent for efficient removal of methylene blue and eosin yellow dyes, S.K. Yadav, S.R. Dhakate, B.P. Singh, Bioresource Technology, 344, 126231, 2022
2. A review on 3D graphene–carbon nanotube hybrid polymer nanocomposites, Jeevan Jyoti, B.P. Singh, Journal of Materials Science 56 (31), 17411-17456, 2021
3. Recent trends in gas sensing via carbon nanomaterials: outlook and challenges, Pallvi Dariyal, Sushant Sharma, G.S. Chauhan, B.P. Singh, S.R. Dhakate, Nanoscale Advances 3 (23), 6514-6544, 2021
4. A review on conducting carbon nanotube fibers spun via direct spinning technique, Pallvi Dariyal, A.K. Arya, B.P. Singh, S.R. Dhakate, Journal of Materials Science 56, 1087–1115.
5. Synergistic bridging effects of graphene oxide and carbon nanotube on mechanical properties of aramid fiber reinforced polycarbonate composite tape, Sushant Sharma, Jishu Rawal, S.R. Dhakate, B.P. Singh, Composites Science and Technology, 199, 108370, 2021
6. Recent advancements in development of different cathode materials for rechargeable lithium ion batteries, Jeevan Jyoti, B.P. Singh, S.K. Tripathi, Journal of Energy Storage 43, 103112, 2021
7. Free-standing flexible multiwalled carbon nanotubes paper for wearable thermoelectric power generator, Meetu Bharti, Ajay Singh, B. P. Singh, S.R. Dhakate, Gajender Saini, Shovit Bhattacharya, A.K. Debnath, K.P. Muthe, D.K. Aswal Journal of Power Sources, 449, 227493, 2020
8. Improved static and dynamic mechanical properties of multiscale bucky paper interleaved Kevlar fiber composites, Sushant Sharma, S.R. Dhakate, Abhijeet Majumdar, B.P. Singh, Carbon, 152, 631-642, 2019
9. Interleaved MWCNT buckypaper between CFRP laminates to improve through-thickness electrical conductivity and reducing lightning strike damage, Vipin Kumar, Sushant Sharma, Abhishek Pathak, B.P.Singh, S.R. Dhakate, Tomohiro Yokozeki, Takao Okada, Toshio Ogasawara, Composite Structures 210, 581-589, 2019
10. Rice straw biomass to high energy yield biocoal by torrefaction: Indian perspective, SR Dhakate, A.K. Pathak, P. Jain, M. Singh, B.P. Singh, K.M. Subhedar, S.S. Sharda, R.K. Seth, Current Science (00113891) 116 (5), 2019
11. Electrochemical performance of Sb 2 S 3/CNT free-standing flexible anode for Li-ion batteries, Indu Elizabeth, B.P. Singh, S. Gopukumar, Journal of Materials Science 54 (9), 7110-7118
12. Phase transition and anomalous rheological properties of graphene oxide-carbon nanotube acrylonitrile butadiene styrene hybrid composites, Jeevan Jyoti, S.R. Dhakate, B.P. Singh, Composites Part B: Engineering 154, 337-350, 2018
13. Excellent mechanical properties of long length multiwalled carbon nanotube bridged Kevlar fabric, Sushant Sharma, Abhishek Pathak, V.N. Singh, Satish Teotia, S.R. Dhakate, B.P. Singh, Carbon, 137, 104-117, 2018
14. Significant improvement in static and dynamic mechanical properties of graphene oxide–carbon nanotube acrylonitrile butadiene styrene hybrid composites, Jeevan Jyoti, A.S. Babal, Sushant Sharma, S.R. Dhakate, B.P. Singh, Journal of Materials Science, 53 (4), 2520-2536, 2018
15. Design of MWCNT bucky paper reinforced PANI–DBSA–DVB composites with superior electrical and mechanical properties, Sushant Sharma, Vipin Kumar, A.K. Pathak, Tomohiro Yokozeki, S.K. Yadav, V.N. Singh, S.R. Dhakate, B.P. Singh, Journal of Materials Chemistry C 6 (45), 12396-12406, 2018.
16. Irreversible tunability of through-thickness electrical conductivity of polyaniline-based CFRP by de-doping, Vipin Kumar, Tomohiro Yokozeki, T. Goto, T. Takahashi, S.R. Dhakate, B.P. Singh, Composites Science and Technology 152, 20-26, 2018
17. Enhanced Thermomechanical and Electrical Properties of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Paper Reinforced Epoxy Laminar Composites, Sushant Sharma, B.P. Singh, S.S. Chauhan, Jeevan Jyoti, A.K .Arya, S.R. Dhakate, Vipin Kumar, Tomohiro Yokozeki, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 104, 129-138, 2018
18. Dielectric and impedance properties of three dimension graphene oxide-carbon nanotube acryronitrile butadiene styrene hybrid composites, Jeevan Jyoti, Ashok Kumar, S.R. Dhakate, B.P. Singh, Polymer Testing, 68, 456-466, 2018
19. Significant improvement in static and dynamic mechanical properties of graphene oxide–carbon nanotube acrylonitrile butadiene styrene hybrid composites, Jeevan Jyoti, A.S. Babal, Sushant Sharma, S.R. Dhakate, B.P. Singh, Journal of Materials Science 53 (4), 2520-2536, 2018
20. Free-standing flexible MWCNTs bucky paper: Extremely stable and energy efficient supercapacitive electrode, B. Pandit, S.R. Dhakate, B.P. Singh, B.R. Sankapal, Electrochimica Acta, 249, 395-403, 2017
21. Multifunctional Ni-NiO-CNT composite as high performing free standing anode for Li ion batteries and advanced electro catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction, Indu Elizabeth, A.K .Nair, B.P. Singh, S. Gopukumar, Electrochimica Acta 230, 98-105, 2017
22. In-situ Conversion of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes to Graphene Nanosheets: An Increasing Capacity Anode for Li Ion Batteries, Indu Elizabeth, B.P. Singh, T.K. Bijoy, V.R. Reddy, G. Karthikeyan, V.N. Singh, S. R. Dhakate, Palanichamy Murugan, Sukumaran Gopukumar, Electrochimica Acta, 231, 255-263,2017
23. Structural and mechanical properties of free-standing multiwalled carbon nanotube paper prepared by an aqueous mediated process, Sushant Sharma, B.P. Singh, A.S. Babal, S. Teotia, Jeevan Jyoti, S.R. Dhakate, Journal of Materials Science, 1-13, 2017
24. Reticulated porous carbon foam with cobalt oxide nanoparticles for excellent oxygen evolution reaction, Shiv Prakash, Ravi Kumar, Pankaj Kumar, Sonu Rani, Khushboo Kumari, Saroj Kumari, Sanjay R Dhakate, Materials Chemistry and Physics, 275, 125131, 2022.
25. Rapid adsorption of arsenate from water on a novel hybrid of zirconia oxide anchored rGO functionalised carbon foam, Pinki Rani Agrawal, Nahar Singh, Ravi Kumar, Kushagra Yadav, Saroj Kumari, Sanjay R Dhakate, Colloid and Interface Science Communications, 40, 100350, 2021.
26. Fabrication of lightweight and porous silicon carbide foams as excellent microwave susceptor for heat generation, Saroj Kumari, Rajeev Kumar, Pinki R Agrawal, Shiv Prakash, DP Mondal, Sanjay R, Materials Chemistry and Physics, 253, 123211, 2020
27. Multi-component framework derived SiC composite paper to support efficient thermal transport and high EMI shielding performance, Anisha Chaudhary, Satish Teotia, Rajeev Kumar, Vinay Gupta, Sanjay R Dhakate, Saroj Kumari, Composites Part B: Engineering, 176, 107123, 2019.
28. The removal of pentavalent arsenic by graphite intercalation compound functionalized carbon foam from contaminated water, Pinki Rani Agrawal, Nahar Singh, Saroj Kumari, Sanjay R Dhakate, Journal of hazardous materials, 377, 274-283, 2019.
29. Thermal conductivity and fire-retardant response in graphite foam made from coal tar pitch derived semi coke, Rajeev Kumar, Hemant Jain, Anisha Chaudhary, Saroj Kumari, DP Mondal, AK Srivastava, Composites Part B: Engineering, 172, 121-130, 2019.
30. Scalable development of a multi-phase thermal management system with superior EMI shielding properties, Anisha Chaudhary, Rajeev Kumar, Sanjay R Dhakate, Saroj Kumari, Composites Part B: Engineering, 158, 206-217, 2019.
31. Excellent EMI shielding performance and thermal insulating properties in lightweight, multifunctional carbon-cenosphere composite foams, Rajeev Kumar, DP Mondal, Anisha Chaudhary, Muhamed Shafeeq, Saroj Kumari, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 112, 475-484, 2018.
32. Integration of MCMBs/MWCNTs with Fe3O4 in a flexible and light weight composite paper for promising EMI shielding applications, Anisha Chaudhary, Rajeev Kumar, Satish Teotia, SK Dhawan, Sanjay R Dhakate, Saroj Kumari, Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 5, 322-332, 2017.
33. Lightweight and easily foldable MCMB-MWCNTs composite paper with exceptional electromagnetic interference shielding, Anisha Chaudhary, Saroj Kumari, Rajeev Kumar, Satish Teotia, Bhanu Pratap Singh, Avanish Pratap Singh, SK Dhawan, Sanjay R Dhakate, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 8, 10600-10608, 2016.
34. 3CVD growth of continuous and spatially uniform single layer graphene across grain boundary of preferred (111) oriented copper processed by sequential melting-resolidification-recrystallization, Indu Sharma, Sanjay R. Dhakate and Kiran M Subhedar, Mater. Chem. Front. 2018, 2(6) 1137-1145
35. Kiran M Subhedar, Indu Sharma and Sanjay R. Dhakate, “Control of layer stacking in CVD graphene under quasi-static condition”, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2015, 17(34), 22304 – 22310.
36. Munu Borah, Dilip K Singh and Kiran M Subhedar, Sanjay R. Dhakate, “Role of Substrate Purity and its Crystallographic Orientation on the Defect Density of Chemical Vapor Deposition Grown Monolayer Graphene”, RSC Advances 2015, 5 (85), 69110 – 69118.
37. Graphene layer number characterization using scanning kelvin probe force microscopy, V K Toutam, Indian Journal of Engineering and Materials Sciences (IJEMS) 27 (6), 1145-1150 2021
38. Materials Metrology and Nanomaterials, SR Dhakate, BP Singh, BK Gupta, KM Subhedar, V Toutam, Metrology for Inclusive Growth of India, 767-809, 2020
39. Wide spectral photoresponse of template assisted out of plane grown ZnO/NiO composite nanowire photodetector, MR Maurya, V Toutam, S Bathula, P Pal, BK Gupta, Nanotechnology 31 (2), 025705, 2019
40. Optimization of electroless plating of gold during MACE for through etching of silicon wafer, MR Maurya, V Toutam, P Singh, S Bathula, Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing 100, 140-144, 2019
41. Fast response UV detection based on waveguide characteristics of vertically grown ZnO nanorods partially embedded in anodic alumina template, MR Maurya, V Toutam, Nanotechnology 30 (8), 085704, 2018
42. Robust visibility of graphene monolayer on patterned plasmonic substrates, S Inampudi, V Toutam, S Tadigadapa, Nanotechnology 30 (1), 015202, 2018
43. Comparative study of photoresponse from vertically grown ZnO nanorod and nanoflake films, MR Maurya, V Toutam, D Haranath, ACS omega 2 (9), 5538-5544, 2017
44. Size-independent parameter for temperature-dependent surface plasmon resonance in metal nanoparticles, MR Maurya, V Toutam The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 120 (34), 19316-19321, 2016
45. Process optimization enhancing thermoelectric and mechanical performance in reactive in-situ spark plasma sintered Mg2(Si,Sn) S Choudhary, Saravanan Muthiah, S.R. Dhakate Materials Research Bulletin 128, 110875, 2020
46. Significant enhancement in thermoelectric performance of nanostructured higher manganese silicide synthesized employing melt spinning technique Saravanan Muthiah, R.C. Singh, B.D. Pathak, P.K. Avasthi, R. Kumar, A. Kumar, A.K. Srivastava, Ajay Dhar. Nanoscale ,10, 1970-1977, 2018
47. Enhancement in thermoelectric performance of bulk CrSi2 dispersed with nanostructured SiGe nanoinclusions Naval Kishor Upadhyay, LA Kumaraswamidhas, Bhasker Gahtori, Sivaiah Bathula, Saravanan Muthiah, Radhey Shyam, Nagendra Singh Chauhan, Ruchi Bhardwaj, Ajay Dhar Journal of Alloys and Compounds 765, 412-417, 2018
48. Mechanical properties of thermoelectric n-type magnesium silicide synthesized employing in situ spark plasma reaction sintering Saravanan Muthiah, R.C. Singh, B.D. Pathak, Ajay Dhar Materials Research Express 4 (7), 075507, 2017
49. Facile synthesis of higher manganese silicide employing spark plasma assisted reaction sintering with enhanced thermoelectric performance Saravanan Muthiah, R.C.Singh, B.D.Pathak, Ajay Dhar Scripta Materialia, 119,60-64, 2016.
50. Synergistic Optimization of Electronic and Thermal Transport Properties for Achieving High ZT in Ni and Te Co-substituted CoSb3 Ruchi Bhardwaj, Parul R. Raghuvanshi, Sanjay R. Dhakate, Sivaiah Bathula, Amrita Bhattacharya, and Bhasker Gahtori ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2021
51. High Thermoelectric Performance in n-Type Degenerate ZrNiSn- Based Half-Heusler Alloys Driven by Enhanced Weighted Mobility and Lattice Anharmonicity Kishor Kumar Johari, Ruchi Bhardwaj, Nagendra S. Chauhan, Sivaiah Bathula, Sushil Auluck, S. R. Dhakate, and Bhasker GahtoriACS Applied Energy Materials, 4, 3393–3403, 2021
52. Melt-Spun SiGe Nano-Alloys: Microstructural Engineering Towards High Thermoelectric Efficiency Avinash Vishwakarma, Nagendra S. Chauhan, Ruchi Bhardwaj, Kishor Kumar Johari, Sanjay R. Dhakate, Bhasker Gahtori, and Sivaiah Bathula Journal of Electronic Materials, 50, 364–374, 2021
53. Compositional modulation is driven by aliovalent doping in n-type TiCoSb based half-Heuslers for tuning thermoelectric transport Avinash Vishwakarma, Nagendra S. Chauhan, Ruchi Bhardwaj, Kishor Kumar Johari, Sanjay R. Dhakate, Bhasker Gahtori, Sivaiah Bathula Intermetallics, 125, 106914, 2020
54. 5Optimization of electrical and thermal transport properties of Fe0.25Co0.75Sb3 Skutterudite employing the isoelectronic Bi-doping Ruchi Bhardwaj, Kishor Kumar Johari, Bhasker Gahtori, Nagendra S. Chauhan, Sivaiah Bathula, S.R. Dhakate, Sushil Auluck, Ajay Dhar Intermetallics, 123, 106796, 2020
55. Band Structure Modification and Mass Fluctuation Effects of Isoelectronic Germanium-Doping on Thermoelectric Properties of ZrNiSn Kishor Kumar Johari, Ruchi Bhardwaj, Nagendra S. Chauhan, Bhasker Gahtori, Sivaiah Bathula, Sushil Auluck, and S. R. Dhakate ACS Applied Energy Materials, 3, 1349–1357, 2020
56. Enhancement in thermoelectric performance of single step synthesized Mg doped Cu2Se: An experimental and theoretical study Ruchi Bhardwaj, Amrita Bhattacharya, Kriti Tyagi, Bhasker Gahtori, Nagendra Singh Chauhan, Avinash Vishwakarma, Kishor Kumar Johari, Sivaiah Bathula, Sushil Auluck, Ajay Dhar Intermetallics, 112, 106541, 2019
57. Tin doped Cu3SbSe4: A stable thermoelectric analogue for the mid-temperature applications Ruchi Bhardwaj, Amrita Bhattacharya, Kriti Tyagi, Bhasker Gahtori, Nagendra Singh Chauhan, Sivaiah Bathula, Sushil Auluck, Ajay Dhar Materials Research Bulletin, 113, 38-44, 2019
58. Collective Effect of Fe and Se To Improve the Thermoelectric Performance of Unfilled p-Type CoSb3 Skutterudites Ruchi Bhardwaj, Bhasker Gahtori, Kishor Kumar Johari, Sivaiah Bathula, Nagendra S. Chauhan, Avinash Vishwakarma, S. R. Dhakate, Sushil Auluck, and Ajay Dhar ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2, 1067–1076, 2019
59. Facile synthesis of nanostructured n-type SiGe alloys with enhanced thermoelectric performance using rapid solidification employing melt spinning followed by spark plasma sintering Avinash Vishwakarma, Sivaiah Bathula, Nagendra S. Chauhan, Ruchi Bhardwaj, Bhasker Gahtori, Avanish K. Srivastava, Ajay Dhar Current Applied Physics, 18, 1540-1545, 2018

Past Ph.D. students: Jeevan Jyoti, Indu Elizabeth, Sushant Sharma, . Indu Sharma, Munu Borah, Ashish Gupta, Pinky Agrawal, Abhishekh Pathak, Dr. Anisha Chaudhary and Ridham Dhawan, Muniraj Maurya, Ruchi Bhardwaj, Sonam Perween, Avinash Vishwakarma, Nagendra S. Chauhan

Current Ph.D. students/ RA:

• Ms. Mamta Rani
• Ms. Manju Yadav
• Mr. Manoj
• Ms. Rekha
• Mr. Mandeep Singh
• Mr. Mayan Pal
• Mr. Omkar
• Ms. Pallvi Dariyal
• Mr. Pankaj Kumar
• Ms. Pinky Saharan
• Mr. Prashant Dubey
• Ms. Rashmi Rani
• Ms. Sadiya Waseem
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• Dr. Sushant Sharma
• Mr. Shailesh Kumar Yadav
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• Ms. Sonu Rani
• Ms. Sony Bharadwaj
• Dr. Vartika Sukrampal Singh
• Ms. Himani
• Mr. Ajay Kumar Verma
• Mr. Bhanu Prakash Bhist
• Mr. Gaurav Singh Chauhan
• Mr. Kishore Kumar Johari
• Ms. Khushboo Kumari
• Ms. Sushantika Choudhary
• Mr. Kushagra Yadav
• Mr. Chandrakant
• Ms. Karishma Jain
• Ms. Priyanka

Dr. S.R. Dhakate
Head & Chief Scientist
Email: dhakate@nplindia.org
Phone: +91-11-4560 9388, 8257

Scientists:

• Dr. Bhanu Pratap Singh
  Sr. Principal Scientist
  Email: bps@nplindia.org
  Phone: +91-11-4560 8426
  
  
• Dr. Priyanka Heda Maheshwari
  Principal Scientist
  Email: hedap@nplindia.org
  Phone: +91-11-4560 8508
  
  
• Dr. M. Saravanan
  Pincipal Scientist
  Email: saranm@nplindia.org
  Phone: +91-11-4560 9472
  
  
• Dr. Vijay Toutam
  Principal Scientist
  Email: toutamvk@nplindia.org
  Phone: +91-11-4560 8460
  
  
• Dr. Bhasker Gahtori
  Principal Scientist
  Email: bhasker@nplindia.org
  Phone: +91-11-4560 8556
  
  
• Dr. Saroj Kumari
  Principal Scientist
  Email: kumaris@nplindia.org
  Phone: +91-11-4560 8285
  
  
• Dr. Kiran Subhedar
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  Email: kms@nplindia.org
  Phone: +91-11-4560 1090
  
  
• Dr. Kriti Tyagi
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  Phone: +91-11-4560 8443

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• Mr. R.K. Seth
  Principal Technical Officer
  
  
• Ms. Shaveta Sharma
  Senior Technical Officer
  
  
• Mr. Radhey Shyam
  Senior Technical Officer
  
  
• Dr. Naval Kishor Upadhyay
  Senior Technical Officer
  
  
• Ms. Preeti Shrivastava
  Technical Officer