NMDC Field Trip Report

The morning’s atmosphere on Saturday, 20-September-2014 was filled with anticipation as the science students of Grade 12 CBSE Senior Secondary Segment, Newton Campus gathered outside the school building, ready for an exciting day. We boarded the school buses and reached the NMDC an hour later.
We assembled at the front room of the research unit where the head of research welcomed us and gave us a briefing about the different divisions of the establishment. The NMDC is a research facility to which industrialists send samples of mined minerals. The NMDC’s role is to check whether the mineral can be profitably extracted in a large scale by emulating the process in the laboratory scale. Consequently, they chart out a metallurgical plan to economically extract the metal. This in turn acts as advice to the industrialists as to whether or not they should invest in the project.
We began our tour around the facility, at the Analytical research lab, where we were shown the different methods of analytical testing for purity of the samples. Next, we went to the pilot plant where the separation techniques and the metallurgical extraction and refinement processes take place in the intermediate scale. One interesting apparatus that we saw was a ‘spiral ladder’ which separated impurities from the metal on the basis of differences in specific gravities. Later, we met Mr. Bhagwan Singh who took us to an Iron furnace. He explained to us that on a large scale, carbon is used as the reducing agent in the furnace, which consequently emits carbon dioxide as a by-product. He told us that at NMDC’s pilot plant, they use hydrogen, which releases water as a by-product, in an effort to be environmentally friendly. We went to the nanotechnology division, where we learnt how the NMDC converts the by-products from metal extraction, to useful materials.
Throughout the trip, the students were thoroughly engaged. We were especially excited because our theoretical knowledge was being put to use practically. This field trip brought life to the words in our textbook lessons. Many of the students even decided that they want to pursue a career in the metallurgical field! All the students of Grade 12 –Science would like to thank Ms. Shaila, our Chemistry teacher, for giving us this wonderful opportunity. In addition, we thank Ms. Rukmani for accompanying us and making this fieldtrip an enlightening adventure!
Supriya Subramanian
Grade 12 C
CBSE Senior Secondary Segment