Established in : 1947

MANDATE

• To establish, maintain and improve National Standards of measurements, and to realize the 'Units' based on International System (under the Subordinate Legislations of Weights and Measures Act 1956, reissued in 1988 under the 1976 Act).
• To carry out R&D work to advance the frontiers of knowledge in various areas of physics and chemistry and applying the knowledge for the technological advancement of the country.
• To assist industries, national and other agencies by offering consultancy services for precision measurements, calibration, development of devices, processes, and solving other allied problems related to physics and chemistry.

MAIN FACILITIES

• Facilities for calibration of instruments/equipment of various types.
• Instrumental facilities for characterization of materials, viz. their composition, purity and structure.The instruments include:scanning electron microscope (Jeol-JSM-35CF);Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (Digital-FTS 20 E/U); X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer (Rigaku-3070E);atomic absorption spectrometer (Varian-Spectra A-10 ABQ);electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometer(Varian E-line Century series);gas chromotograph (Perkin-Elmer-Sigma 2000);1 controlled powder X-ray defractometer(Siemens-D 5000);and transmission electron microscope with scanning attachment(Jeol-JEM-200 CX).
• Facilities for evaluation of crystalline perfection of single crystals, high resolution X-ray diffraction techniques, diffractometry, topography, diffuse X-ray scattering and stress measurements.
• Facilities for measurement of surface area and porosity.
• Databases for long- and short- term forecasting in ionospheric and tropospheric communication; NPL has been serving as an Associate Regional Warning Centre (ARWC) as a part of an international system of rapid exchange of solar, magnetic and ionospheric data.
• A well stacked library.
• Well-equipped mechanical and glass workshops.
• Consultancy services to handle industrial problems.

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS

• NPL has the responsibility of co-ordination of calibration activity in the country on behalf of the Government of India for implementation of its National Programme of Accreditation of Laboratories which is upgraded from time to time.Presently these laboratories are accredited as per ISO-guide 25 requirements.This programme is operated under National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
• Technology for following materials of commercial importance have been developed and transferred to private industries for commercilaization:(i) flexible graphite for seals, gaskets, gland packing etc. used in refineries, petrochemicals industry, thermal power stations, etc,;(ii) glassy carbons for fuel cells and biochemical applications;(iii) carbon fibres for industrial applications;and (iv) activated carbon fibres for pollution control.
• A patent for control of Thallassemia has been developed in India and abroad. The herbal drug is a low cost solution to thallassemia.
• NPL has been a major participant in all the Indian scientific expeditions to the Antarctica and has carried out studies on planetary boundary layer, greenhouse gas concentration and trends for CO₂, CH₄, N₂0, 0₃ and UV-B radiation.Atmospheric monitoring and budget setimate, especially of greenhouse gases from different sources, e.g. biomass burning, paddy cultivation and wetlands, are being carried out to assess their impact on atmospheric chemistry and global climate change under the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme.
• A highly sophisticated laser heterodyne system, designed and developed using a tunable CO₂ laser as a local oscillator and sun as a source with 1GHz acousto-optic spectrometer (AOS) as back-end, has been set up at Maitri (70^o46' S, 11^o44' E) the Indian Antartica station to measure the vertical profiles of minor constituents in the stratosphere and troposphere.This highly sophisticated system has been used for the first time to measure vertical profiles of Ozone over Antartic regions during the 13^th Antartic expedition in January-February 1994.
• NPL has successfully designed, developed and fabricated a Doppler mini sodar to gather information on wind velocity, thermal structure etc. of the lower boundary layer of the atmosphere. This system has been developed using the FFT technique for determining Doppler shifts.
• PC-based sodar systems have been installed at several industrial units around the country to collect data for inversion climatology and mixing height studies. A data bank has also been created for various sites and is being used for dispersion modelling and environment impact assessment studies.
• Nine reference materials of lead, cadmium, arsenic and chromium which are of significant importance in relation to environmental pollution control and monitoring have been prepared and are being supplied by NPL.
• NPL is an active centre of R&D pertaining to conventional as well as high Tc superconductors.Some of the important studies undertaken in the recent past include:(i) STM studies of growth spirals in bulk single crystal and the problem of critical density;(ii) Interlayer coupling effects and optimization of Tc of Bi-221 high Tc cuprates;(iii) substitution studies in Y-124 cuprates;(iv) studies on Y-123 systems; and (v) high Tc Josephson junction and SQUIDS.
• NPL broadcasts of Standard Time and Frequency Signals (STFs) via IN-SAT have made it possible to achieve time and frequency synchronization of a very high order, anywhere in India.Power stations hooked to the National Grid use this facility for real time reference in event recorders.All India Radio uses frequency synchronization to save radio space.
• Two sophisticated retarding potential analysers (RPA) payloads designed and fabricated to study the low latitude ionosphere and thermosphere were launched on two Indian satellites viz. SROSS-C, SROSS-C2 in May 1993 and May 1994 resoectively.
• A hand held glucose biosensor has been developed and commercialized,This easy to use glucose monitor comprises a strip type glucose electrode connected to an electronic instrument. The response time sensitivity range and shelf life of the glucose strip have been measured as 40 s, 40-600 mg/dL, and 4 months respectively.Development of a third generation glucose biosensor based on physically immobalized glucose oxidase in p-toulene sulphonate doped poly-pyrrole firms is underway.

DIRECTOR
        Prof. A.K. Raychaudhri, 
       

CONTACT ADDRESS
     Head,Marketing group,
     103/104,Standards Block,
     Dr K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi. 110 012.
     Telephone: (091)11-5788308
     Telegram : NATPHYLAB NEWDELHI
     Telex : 031-77099 NPL IN;
             031-77384 RSD IN.
     Fax : (091)11-5752678
           (091)11-5714189.
     E-Mail : ashwini@csnpl.ren.nic.in

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