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A Remarkable Achievement for the Nation

10-Oct-2011

The first batch of Titanium Sponge has been produced at the newly commissioned 500 TPY Titanium Sponge Plant at The Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd, Kollam on 06-09-2011. The first batch of Titanium Sponge weighing 3000 Kg was ejected under the close monitoring and supervision of scientists from DMRL and officials from KMML & VSSC.

Shri C S Ramachandran, Dr T S Sitaraman, Shri Brahmendrakumar, Shri Alla Bakshu ( Scientists from DMRL), Shri N R Subramaniam (Managing Director- KMML),   Shri S Suresh Kumar  ( Executive Diector –KMML ), Shri Sankaravelayudham ( DGM-VSSC), Shri S Ganapathi (Visiting Scientist- VSSC) and others were present to witness this remarkable achievement. 

 Highlights.

1)      India becomes the 7th country in the world in Titanium Sponge Production.

2)      A promising step towards self-reliance in Titanium “The Metal of the 21st Century” and a metal of strategic importance for defence & aerospace application.

3)      Value addition of beach mineral sand to its maximum.

4)      Successful commercial production utilizing the indigenous technology developed by country’s scientific community at the Defense Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad.

5)      Fully funded by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram.

6)      Executed and Managed by The Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd (KMML), Chavara.

 Project Origin

The Secretary, Department of Space/Chairman, ISRO constituted a National Committee of experts under the Chairmanship of Prof. P. Rama Rao vide office order dated 12 March 2005, for making appropriate recommendations for setting up the First Titanium Sponge Plant in the country. The committee recommended setting up the First Titanium Sponge Plant in the country at The Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd ( KMML) and produce Titanium Sponge using Titanium Tetra Chloride, the principal raw material for Titanium Sponge production being produced at KMML.  This technology has been indigenously developed by Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad.

An MOU was signed on 29th March 2006 between KMML, DMRL and VSSC wherein it was agreed that KMML will execute the project with funding from ISRO utilizing the  technology developed by DMRL. The foundation stone for the project was laid down by the then Honorable Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri.V.S.Achuthanandan, on 27th December 2006. The Bhoomi Pooja for the project was held on 17th April 2008. The 500TPY Titanium Sponge Plant was inaugurated by the Honorable Union Minister for Defence Shri A K Antony on 27-02-2011, beginning the commissioning activities.

It is praiseworthy to note that in the first batch itself the quality of the Titanium Sponge produced at KMML conformed to international standards required for aerospace application.