DRDO Industry Academia Centre of Excellence

Dr. Dipak Kumar Das assumed the role of Director, DIA-CoE IIT Kharagpur in January 2024. Prior to this, he served as a Scientist at the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad from November 1987 and was Associate Director in the same organization for many years.

Dr. Das earned his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur, followed by a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering from IIT BHU in 2001. Between 2005 and 2007, he conducted postdoctoral research on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), focusing on thermal barrier coatings and gamma-gamma prime diffusion aluminide coatings on Ni-base superalloy substrates.

With a research career spanning over 30 years, Dr. Das has made significant contributions to Surface Engineering and Vacuum Investment Casting, exploring diverse areas such as:

• Protective coatings for gas turbine applications and refractory materials
• Mechanical behaviour of aluminide-coated superalloys and Ti-alloys
• Oxidation-resistant coatings for Ti-alloys
• Gas-particle interactions in high-temperature flames
• Laser processing of materials
• Ni-based superalloy castings for gas turbine engines

Throughout his tenure at DMRL, Hyderabad, Dr. Das led several projects addressing scientific and technological challenges in surface engineering and vacuum investment casting. His expertise spans a wide range of processing and characterization techniques, including:

• Air plasma spray and oxy-acetylene flame-spray systems
• Electroplating, pack cementation, and chemical vapor deposition
• Vacuum furnaces and high-velocity oxidation rigs
• Ultrafast lasers, optical microscopes, scanning electron microscopes, and electron probe micro-analyzers

His research and development efforts focus on surface-related material enhancements, including coatings for performance optimization and tribological behaviour improvements. Dr. Das has authored over 100 technical papers in international journals and has been an invited speaker at many national and international seminars.

Personal Website: https://dkdasabcd.wixsite.com/dkdas