General Information

Lecturer: Dec 1979-Oct1982
Assistant Professor: Oct1982-Mar1988
Professor : Mar 1988-July2015
Emeritus Fellow : Aug2015-Continued

Email: nbb@iitb.ac.in
Tel: +91-22-2576-7610
 

Academic Background:

  • B.E. (Metallurgy) Mysore University, 1971
  • M.Tech (Metallurgy) IIT Kanpur, 1974
  • Ph.D (Metallurgy) IIT Kanpur, 1979

Interests:

  • Transport phenomena applied to materials processing
  • Process Modelling
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Process development in iron and steel processing and casting
  • Development and transfer of technology for Electro-slag refining of special alloys to the industry. (involvement in the past)
  • He also has a keen interest in the traditional metallurgical practices and the history of iron making technology in India.

Research Interests

  • Process Metallurgy with Special Emphasis on Iron and Steel Making
  • Thermodynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer, Mathematical Modelling of Processes,
  • Archeo-metallurgy and Practices of the Traditional Metal Artisans of India.

Research Projects

  • CAPART project on ‘Indigenous Iron and Steelmaking,’ 1989-1991.
  • DST Project on `Modelling and Simulation of ESR Process’, 1989 ­ 1991
  • NSF-RDCIS Project on ‘ Modelling of Combined Blowing Processes’, 1989-1991
  • NSF-RDCIS Project on ‘Ladle Metallurgy ­ Simultaneous Dephosphorisation and Desulfurisation’ 1989-1991
  • RDCIS Project on `Mathematical and Physical Simulation of Decarburization in the VOD,’ 1997-2000
  • DST Project on ` Development of Laboratory Horizontal Continuous Casting Machine,' 1997-2000
  • ISRO Projects on `Development of Ultra High Strength Steel ’ 2002-2010
  • SDF-NML project on ` Blast Furnace Modelling’, 2002-2011(co-PI)
  • DST Project on ‘Studies on Iron ore Sintering,’ 2012-2016
  • DRDO project on ‘ Modelling of Niobium refining during EBM’, 2012-16

Technology Development and Delivery

  • Design drawings and technology for ESR Process to M/s Titan Alloys, Nasik, M/s AV Alloys Hyderabad, M/s Supreme Steels and Alloys, Khopoli, Maharashtra. India
  • Development of modified 15CDV6 UHS alloy for PSLV rocket motor casing for VSSC Trivandrum (part of the research group).
  • Design, installation and commissioning (turn-key) of Pilot plant for ESR Process to VSSC Trivandrum for development of alloys for Cryogenic Engines.
  • Software development for Vacuum Carburizing, M/s, Dynatech Corporation, Mumbai, India (co-PI).
  •  

Technology Transfer:

  • Electro-slag refining(ESR) furnace at M/S Supreme Special Steels, Khopoli, Maharashtra (2009)

Selected Publications:

  • Sarkar, R., Gupta, P., Basu Somnath and Ballal, N.B. : Dynamic Modeling of LD Converter Steelmaking: Reaction Modeling Using Gibbs’ Free Energy Minimization; Metall.Trans B, Jan 2015
  • Bedarkar, Swaren, Viswanathan N.N., Ballal, N.B. : "Measurement of thermal conductivity along the radial direction in a vertical cylindrical packed bed,", J.Powder Techn. 2015
  • N. B. Ballal: Some Challenges and Opportunities in Blast Furnace Operations, Transactions of the Indian Institute of Metals, 2013;
  • P.B. Abhale, N.N. Viswanathan and N.B. Ballal’ “Efficient Simulation of Gas Flow in Blast Furnace”, Computers, Materials and Continua, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 195-216, 2009.
  • Maity, S. K., Ballal, N. B., Goldhahn,G. and Kawalla, R. (2008): Development of Low Alloy Titanium and Niobium Microalloyed Ultrahigh Strength Steel through Electroslag Refining. Ironmaking and Steelmaking 35, 2008, p.379-386.
  • V. Pancholi, Madangopal Krishnan, I.S. Samajdar, V. Yadav and N.B. Ballal: Self-accommodation in the bainitic microstructure of ultra-high-strength steel Acta Materialia, Volume 56, Issue 9, May 2008, Pages 2037-2050
  • Nagesh, Ch.R.V.S.; Rao, Ch.S.; Ballal, N.B.; Rao, P.K. ; Mechanism of Titanium Sponge Formation In the Kroll Reduction Reactor, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B (Process Metallurgy and Materials Processing Science), v 35B, n 1, Feb. 2004, p 65-74
  • Balachandran G., Bhatia M. L., Ballal N. B., and Rao P. K, PROCESSING AND ROOM TEMPERATURE PROPERTIES OF NICKEL FREE HIGH NITROGEN AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEELS, TRANSACTIONS- INDIAN INSTITUTE OF METALS 2002, VOL 55; PART 4, pages 149-159
  • Suresh MR, Samajdar I, Ingle A, Ballal NB, Rao PK, Sinha PP, Structure-property changes during hardening and tempering of new ultra high strength medium carbon low alloy steel Ironmaking & Steelmaking, v 30, n 5, Oct. 2003, p 379-84
  • Baligidad, R.G.; Prakash, U.; Rao, V. Ramakrishna; Rao, P.K.; Ballal, N.B.; Processing of Fe3Al based intermetallic alloys through electroslag remelting; ISIJ International, v 36, n 12, 1996, p 1448-1452
  • Ballal, N. B., Mass Transfer in Porous Solids under Pulsating Pressure Conditions, ISIJ International, v 35, n 4, 1995, p 446-448