6. Educational Qualifications Course Board/University/Institution Year Class S.S.C. Board of Secondary Education, Tamilnadu. University of Madras

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1 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 Position held before joining this post Retired with effect from 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 ( ) 4. Present Grade and Scale HAG Scale in the Pay Scale ( ) 5. Date of Birth Educational Qualifications Course Board/University/Institution Year Class S.S.C Board of Secondary Education, Tamilnadu 1965 I Class B.Sc.(Chemistry) University of Madras 1969 I Class BARC Training School Orientation Course (13 th Batch) BARC, Mumbai M.Sc. (Chemistry) University of Bombay 1977 By Thesis M.Tech. (Metallurgical Engg.) Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 1987 CPI = 10 Ph.D (Metallurgical Engg.) University of Mumbai 1999 By thesis 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 Head, Mineral Processing Division, BARC, Hyderabad Till retirement 1

2 Professor, Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai on Professional Expertise 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 2

3 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 to Was a Permanent Invitee to the Board Meetings of Indian Rare Earths Limited, Mumbai from April 1998 to June 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 Was a Member of Nuclear Fuels and Materials Groups Board till retirement on Designed and taught the Course, Mineral Engineering for the BARC Training School-AMD 3

4 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, 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 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, 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, 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 4

5 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 5

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