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Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory

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Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) is a research laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Located in Defence Research Complex, Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad. It is responsible for the development and manufacture of complex metals and materials required for modern warfare and weapon systems.^[1][2][3]

As with all the labs of DRDO, DMRL started its operations as a part of the Ordnance Factory Board at its Metal & Steel Factory in Calcutta in the year 1951 as the Technical Development Establishment (Metals), later to be upgraded as DMRL in 1956.^[4][5] DMRL was shifted to Hyderabad in 1963. Since then, it has developed competence in the areas of powder metallurgy based fabrication and development of alloys, armor and rocket motor steel, aerospace light alloys, and magnetic materials. The formation of other entities such as the Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd., High Energy Projectile Factory (formerly Heavy Alloy Penetrator Project), Composites Production Centre, Non-Ferrous Technology Development Centre, and the Advanced Research Centre International have followed the establishment of DMRL. The DMRL is also involved in R&D efforts to develop futuristic materials to provide advanced technology options.^[1][6][3]

• DMR 1700 Ultra-high-strength steel with the toughness stronger than 250 maraging steel but cost is 60% lower; this steel has been used to build rocket motor casings for the Akash surface-to-air missiles.^[3][7][8]
• DMR 249A is a low carbon micro-alloyed grade of steel with stringent toughness requirement at sub-zero temperature.grade was having the specified gas contents of hydrogen <2 ppm in final product for the avoidance of detrimental phenomenon like “Hair Line Cracks”. So the Hydrogen content of liquid steel was to be less than 3 ppm and this demand vacuum treatment of the steel.^[9]
• Jackal steel is an advanced grade high strength low alloy steel, The technology of Jackal steel has been passed on to Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Mishra Dhatu Nigam (MIDHANI) for its bulk production.^[10]
• DMRL has developed indigenous Titanium sponge making process and transferred technology to KMMLinTitanium Sponge Plant.^[11]
• Heavy alloy pre-fragments for Prithvi missile warheads developed for use against aerial targets.^[3]
• Oxygen-free copper for the Nag anti-tank guided missile sheets.^[3][12]
• Special magnetic materials such as samarium-cobalt ring magnets and neodymium-iron-boron magnets in collaboration with the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre for applications in the space program.^[3]
• Kanchan armour for use on the Arjun tank as well as other armoured vehicles like Sarath and Abhay.
• Under DRDO-FICCI Accelerated Technology Assessment & Commercialization initiative, DMRL supplied its patented Copper-Titanium (CuTi) alloy technology for commercial application to Pahwa Metal Tech and has also granted an exclusive license to manufacture products using the technology and sell them aboard.^[13]
• High Nitrogen Steel (HNS), created by DMRL and Jindal Stainless Limited, will be used in armaments that will replace Rolled Homogenous Armour (RHA). It is corrosion resistant with reduced thickness that increases fuel and mass efficiency, has superior ballistic and blast protection, plus higher longevity. HNS has higher impact value, higher energy absorption level, which improves overall crash worthiness. It has passed multiple levels of ballistic tests in different calibers with 8-10 times higher impact protection.^[14]
• Developed high strength metastable Beta-titanium alloy, Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al on industrial scale for applications in aerospace structural forgings.^[15] Will replace traditional Ni-Cr-Mo structural steels to achieve weight reduction. The landing gear drop link is the first component forged successfully by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and has been certified for airworthiness.^[16]
• Successfully developed Near Isothermal Forging Technology for aero engines in 2021. It can help produce all the five stages of high-pressure compressors (HPC) discs out of difficult-to-deform titanium alloy using 2000 MT isothermal forge press weighing 2,000 tonnes. The technology has been transferred to MIDHANI for bulk production. DMRL has also supplied 200 HPC disc forgings for various compressor stages to HAL for fitment in Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour that powers the SEPECAT Jaguar and BAE Systems Hawk of Indian Air Force.^[17][18]
• In 2021, DMRL achieved the breakthrough in design and development of single-crystal casting technology for turbine blades. They supplied 60 high pressure turbine (HPT) blades of nickel-based super alloy to HAL for helicopter engine applications under indigenous helicopter development programme.^[19]

International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials