This programme was initiated in 1990 to create an awareness among the students about the importance of metallurgy and materials science in industrial and technological development , to broaden their knowledge in these fields, and to encourage them to choose these interesting and application oriented subjects as their future course of study and career. In 1993, this became a national event, and subsequently in 1993 it was named after Prof. Brahm Prakash, an eminent metallurgist of our country.

The Contest(s)

Although the metallurgy and material science quiz is the most important event but it is not the only thing.

Essay cum Elocution Contest

This competition is open only to registered student participants of the quiz programme and is optional. Those students participating in the quiz and those who are interested in submitting an Essay (not longer than 3000 words) on one of the topics given, are encouraged to submit the same by email/post to the Convener at bpmmq@yahoo.com. Normally the deadline is two weeks before the quiz. The Best few will be selected by a panel. The names will be announced a week before by email (names will also be displayed on website). The selected students will be given an opportunity on the day of the contest to make a presentation based on their write up for about 10 minutes. The students will not be allowed to carry a prepared speech or make use of computer for their presentation. A panel of judges may also pose a few questions at the end of their talk. The winner of this Competition will be given attractive prizes.

The topics are based on new avenues in material science.

Technical Visits

An optional visit to Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research and other DAE facilities at Kalpakkam

Kalpakkam

Kalpakkam is a small town in Tamil Nadu, India, situated on the Coromandel Coast 70 kilometres south of Chennai. A conglomerate of two villages and a DAE township, it is about 55 km from Thiruvanmiyur....

 is arranged one day before the quiz . Those of the participants and escorts, interested in joining these visits must plan to reach Kalpakkam, not later than 8:30 AM one day before the quiz(at least by 5:00 AM at Chennai

Chennai

Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...

 Station, from where transport will be arranged to kalpakkam).

Cultural Programme

On the night of the quizzing day a dinner-cum-fun games programme will be arranged after the final quiz. We will be happy if your students/escorts can come prepared to demonstrate their talents in singing, telling jokes, mimicry or organizing games!! And to make the evening a memorable one. You may also write to the convener in advance, so that they can make suitable arrangements for the programme.

Syllabus (an overview)

1) History and evolution of materials; Origin of names of minerals and metals; Use of metals in the early ages; Extractive metallurgy

Extractive metallurgy

Extractive metallurgy is the study of the processes used in the separation and concentration of raw materials. The field is an applied science, covering all aspects of the physical and chemical processes used to produce mineral-containing and metallic materials, sometimes for direct use as a...

; Ores

Orés

Orés is a municipality in the Cinco Villas, in the province of Zaragoza, in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It belongs to the comarca of Cinco Villas. It is placed 104 km to the northwest of the provincial capital city, Zaragoza. Its coordinates are: 42° 17' N, 1° 00' W, and is...

, extraction processes; Location of industries and availability of metals; Applications of common alloys; Iron

Iron

Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...

 and steel making; Types of steels and cast irons and their applications.

2) Atomic structure and the periodic table; Bonding; semiconductors, insulators; Crystalline materials

Crystal structure

In mineralogy and crystallography, crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms or molecules in a crystalline liquid or solid. A crystal structure is composed of a pattern, a set of atoms arranged in a particular way, and a lattice exhibiting long-range order and symmetry...

; Metals, Crystal defects; Physical properties; Electronic, Optical, thermal

Thermal

A thermal column is a column of rising air in the lower altitudes of the Earth's atmosphere. Thermals are created by the uneven heating of the Earth's surface from solar radiation, and are an example of convection. The sun warms the ground, which in turn warms the air directly above it...

 and magnetic properties; Characterization of materials:X-ray

X-ray

X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...

, electron microscopy, etc.

3) Mechanical properties: elasticity

Elasticity (physics)

In physics, elasticity is the physical property of a material that returns to its original shape after the stress that made it deform or distort is removed. The relative amount of deformation is called the strain....

, plasticity

Plasticity (physics)

In physics and materials science, plasticity describes the deformation of a material undergoing non-reversible changes of shape in response to applied forces. For example, a solid piece of metal being bent or pounded into a new shape displays plasticity as permanent changes occur within the...

 and fracture; Tensile, creep

Creep

Creep may refer to:* CREEP, the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, associated with the Watergate scandal of U.S. president Nixon's administration....

, impact and hardness tests; Processing of metals: cold and hot working, casting, powder metallurgy

Powder metallurgy

Powder metallurgy is the process of blending fine powdered materials, pressing them into a desired shape , and then heating the compressed material in a controlled atmosphere to bond the material . The powder metallurgy process generally consists of four basic steps: powder manufacture, powder...

, metal joining.

4) Corrosion: Electrodeposition

Electrodeposition

Electrodeposition may refer to:*Electroplating*Electrophoretic deposition*Underpotential deposition...

, batteries, oxidation of metals, corrosion protection methods.

5) Non-destructive testing: Radiography

Radiography

Radiography is the use of X-rays to view a non-uniformly composed material such as the human body. By using the physical properties of the ray an image can be developed which displays areas of different density and composition....

, ultrasonic, electrical and magnetic methods, laser methods.

6) Advanced materials: Amorphous materials, ceramic

Ceramic

A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...

s, polymers, composites

Composite material

Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...

, biomaterials, materials in energy production and transport, nuclear materials, electronic materials. Novel and exotic materials

Exotic Material

Exotic Materials can include plastics, superalloys, semiconductors, superconductors, and ceramics.- Exotic metals and alloys :Examples of metals and alloys that can be exotic:AluminumNickel Chromium CoboltCopperHastelloyHaynesInconel...

. Materials in news.

The Winner's Prize

The winners of the quiz will receive the "O. P. Jindal

O. P. Jindal

Om Prakash Jindal , popularly known as O.P. Jindal was born in Hisar,Haryana.He established a successful business enterprise under the flagship of the Jindal Organization. O.P. Jindal was the Chairman of the Jindal Organization...

 Award", carrying prize money of Rs 25,000/- (Rupees twenty five thousand), sponsored by "M/s Jindal Steel Co." at Kalpakkam in the prize-giving ceremony just after the quiz. The Winners & Runners-up teams will be invited to the National Metallurgists Day Celebrations, to be held at the decided venue in one of the IIMs (Indian Institute of Metals). Cash prize and certificates for the Winners & Runners-up teams will be given away by the Chief Guest on 14 November on the occasion of National Metallurgists Day. This total prize money of 500 US$ & Attractive Certificates is sponsored by
The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society.

Results

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Participation
! Winner
! Runners-up
! Quizmaster
! Prof. Brahm Prakash Memorial Lecture
! Convener
|-
| 1990
| Kendriya Vidyalayas of Kalpakkam
| S. Rodriguez, R. Ravi & Sriprada
| A. Lee, M. Anupama & B. Srinivas
| Dr. Placid Rodriguez & Dr. Baldev Raj
| ---------------
| Mr. U. Kamachi Mudali
|-
| 1991
| 20 teams from Madras & Chengalpattu District
| DAV Higher Secondary School, Madras
| Kendriya Vidyalaya, IIT Madras
| Dr. Placid Rodriguez & Dr. Baldev Raj
| --------------
| Mr. U. Kamachi Mudali
|-
| 1992
| 33 teams from 20 IIM Chapters
| IIM Varanasi Chapter Team
| IIM Trivandrum Chapter Team
| Dr. Placid Rodriguez
| --------------
| Mr. U. Kamachi Mudali
|-
| 1993
| 22 teams from all over India
| IIM Bangalore Team
| Preeti Jain, Prakash Swaminathan & Prashant Kamal, Kendriya Vidyallaya-I, IIM Kalpakkam
| Dr. Placid Rodriguez & Dr. Baldev Raj
| Prof. S. Ranganathan, IISc, Bangalore(“The Art and Science of Metals”)
| Mr. M.T. Shyamsunder
|-
| 1994
| 24 Teams from 16 IIM Chapters
| Hindu Senior Secondary School, IIM Madras
| Deepika English Medium School, Iim Roorkee
| Dr. Baldev Raj & Dr. S. Venkadesan
| Prof. C.V. Sundaram, NIAS, Bangalore(Light Elements, Light Metals and Light Materials”)
| Mr. M.T. Shyamsunder
|-
| 1995
| 30 Teams from different IIM Chapters
| IIM Bombay Chapter
| IIM Kalpakkam Chapter
| Prof. R. Vasudevan, IIT Madras
| Dr. P.K. Iyengar, Member,AEC (“Scientific Insights to Enable Innovations in Materials Science and Technology")
|Dr. U. Kamachi Mudali
|-
| 1996
| 30 teams from different IIM Chapters
| National English School, IIM Bangalore
| Kendriya Vidyalaya-I, IIM Kalpakkam
| Dr. P. Rodriguez & Dr. S. Venkadesan
| Dr. R. Chidambaram, Chairman, AEC
| Dr. C.S. Sundar
|-
| 1997
| 24 teams from different IIM Chapters
| IIM, Calcutta Chapter
| IIM Kalpakkam Chapter
| Dr. V.S. Raghunathan & Dr. S. Venkadesan
| Dr. C.G.K. Nair, Chairman, HAL
| Mr. P. Shankar
|-
| 1998
| 30 teams from different IIM Chapters
| IIM, Calcutta Chapter
| IIM, Kalpakkam Chapter
| Dr. C. S. Sundar & Dr. T.P.S. Gill
| Prof. D. H. Sastry, IISc, Bangalore
| Dr. P.V. Sivaprasad , Dr. G. Amarendra
|-
| 1999
| 24 teams from different IIM Chapters
| IIM, Trivandrum Chapter
| IIM, Bhubaneswar Chapter
| Dr. S. Venkadesan and C. S. Sundar
| Prof. A. K. Sood, IISc, Bangalore
| Shri Hasan Sheikh , Dr. P.V. Sivaprasad
|-
| 2000
| 30 teams from different IIM Chapters
| IIM, Trivandrum Chapter (VSSC Central School; Team comprising Aravind Vignesh Subramaniam,Reghu .A and Sanjai Kumar.N)
| IIM, Kalpakkam Chapter Team A
| Dr. P. Rodriguez
| Prof. P. Ramachanra Rao, NML, Jamshedpur
| Dr. Alok Singh, Dr. BPC Rao
|-
| 2001
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| 2002
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| 2003
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| 2004
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| 2005
|55 teams from different IIM Chapters and 1 Team from Srilanka
|IIM, Bhilai Chapter
|IIM, Mumbai Chapter
|Dr. Santanu Chakravorty
|Dr. Baldev Raj, Director, IGCAR, Kalpakkam
|Dr. P. Shankar & Dr. V. Shankar
|-
| 2006
|48 teams from different IIM Chapters & 2 Teams from Srilanka & 1 Team from Muscat
|IIM, Kolkata Chapter (Don Bosco Park Circus comprising Tamonud Modak & Souparno Ghosh)
|IIM, Bhilai Chapter
|Dr. Santanu Chakravorty
|Prof. V.S. Arunachalam, Former Scientific Advisor, Raksha Mantralaya
|Dr. P. Shankar and Mr. Girish Shastri
|-
| 2007
|52 teams from different IIM Chapters & 2 Teams from Srilanka
|Kendriya Vidyalaya-I, Kalpakkam
|Kaizen Academy, Vizag
|Dr. Sumant C Raman
|Prof. P Rama Rao, Past Chairman-AERB and Member, Atomic Energy Commission
|Dr. P. Shankar & Dr. Arup Dasgupta
|-
|2008
|36 teams from different IIM chapters and 4teams from srilanka
|Trichy chapter maxwell school
|Trichy chapter jayendraswamigal silver jubilee school tirunelveli
|Dr. Sumant C Raman
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|2009
|42 TEAMS AND 6 FROM SRI LANKA
|Banglore chapter Anirudh S and Pranav Rao SKCH college
|Trichy chapter jayendraswamigal silver jubilee school tirunelveli
|Dr SUMANT C RAMAN
|Dr ARUP DASGUPTA AND HEMANT KUMAR
|
|-
|2010
|38 teams from different IIM chapters and 6 teams from srilanka
|Alakar Srinivasan & Muthu Kishore
Trichy chapter jayendraswamigal silver jubilee school tirunelveli
|Saranya.R & Subbulakshmi.G
Trichy chapter jayendraswamigal silver jubilee school tirunelveli
|Dr SUMANT C RAMAN
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|2011
|36 teams from different IIM chapters and 2 teams from srilanka
|A S Pon Aravindhan & U Vignesh
Trichy chapter Jayendra Swamigal Silver Jubilee School Tirunelveli
|Banglore chapter National public school
|Dr SUMANT C RAMAN
|Dr. S. Banerjee, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, India
|Dr U. Kamachi Mudali
|-