Nanocrystalline Materials: Evolution of phases including new metastable/polymorphic phases, crystal to glass and glass to nanocrystal transition under non-equilibrium processing condition. Development/preparation of nanometric, intermetallic and amorphous alloys and composites by mechanical alloying and characterization of microstructure and its stability by TEM, DSC, XRD, PAS, NMR. Synthesis/characterization of nanofluid for advanced thermal engineering. Compaction/sintering by microwave and extreme pressure. Nanocrystalline hydrides for refrigeration, fuel cell and hydrogen-storage applications.

Surface Engineering: Laser, plasma ion implantation and electrodeposition assisted surface modification under extreme conditions of rapid thermal quenching to improve resistance to wear, corrosion, etc. by formation of a metastable microstructure (extended solid solution/amorphous phases) and/or composition in the near-surface region, characterization by the electron-optic analytical techniques, X-ray diffractometry/ spectrometry, and testing of the mechanical and electrochemical properties. Microstructural evolution in welding, cladding, rapid manufacturing and similar processing under extreme conditions.

Mathematical Modeling: Mathematical modeling of thermal and mass transfer profile in laser material processing. Developing suitable mathematical models to correlate the microstructure/composition with properties by analytical/numerical techniques to simulate the temperature/compositional distribution profile following mechanical alloying (by high-energy ball milling), plasma ion implantation, discontinuous precipitation. Thermodynamic modeling of solid-state amorphization, metal-hydrogen equilibria, phase transition, etc.

Interface Diffusion and Related Phase Transitions: Determination of Arrhenius parameters of grain/interphase boundary diffusion through kinetic analysis of interface diffusion controlled phase transition like discontinuous precipitation, eutectoid reaction; and studying the micro-mechanism of these changes in iso-thermal/stress/strain conditions.

Material Development: Developing suitable materials/processes for industrial applications (e.g. nanofluid, austempered ductile iron, nano-metal hydride).

Texture: Development of a suitable preferred orientation in polycrystalline aggregates to induce an optimum level of soft magnetic property, etc.