Tanjore Ramachandra Anantharaman - Research and Career

Research and Career

Anantharaman's professional career spanning over four decades included the following assignments: Research Associate, Max Planck Institute for Metallurgical Research, Stuttgart, Germany (1954–56), Assistant Professor of Metallurgy, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (1956–62), Professor of Metallurgy, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi (BHU), Varanasi (1962–87). He served BHU as Head, Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology; Director, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi, Member, Executive Council, Rector and Acting Vice-Chancellor. After retiring in 1987, he worked as Director, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (Deemed University), Patiala (1989–92) and also as CSIR Emeritus Scientist (1987–89, 1993–95) and INSA Senior' Scientist (1995–2000), spending the 1993–2000 period at the National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi.

Anantharaman's research accomplishments encompass a broad spectrum of topics in physical metallurgy and material science. However, his most creative efforts have centered round pioneering contributions on rapidly solidified alloys and metallic glasses. Along with his many gifted doctorate students he has innovated new techniques for rapid solidification and discovered a variety of metastable phases. He has directed major national projects on micro-structural characterization, metallic glasses and rapidly solidified iron alloys.

Anantharaman has over 250 scientific publications to his credit. He has edited along with his colleagues Proceedings of three International Conferences viz., Metal Sciences – the Emerging Frontiers (1978), Light Metals – Science & Technology (1985) & Advanced Techniques for Materials Characterization (1989). He edited a book Metallic Glasses in 1984 and co-authored Rapidly Solidified Metals: A Technological Overview in 1987, both books published by Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland. As part of his recent involvement in studies related to India's scientific and technological heritage, he wrote a monograph entitled The Rustless Wonder: A Study of the Iron Pillar at Delhi, published by Vigyan Prasar, Government of India, in 1996. This monograph has been translated into Hindi and Tamil, its CD-ROM has proved popular and it has stimulated further researches and publications on India's metallurgical heritage.