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Laboratory Instrumentation Facility

Instruments for High-Impact Science

At the Energetic Materials Laboratory, our research is powered by a suite of state-of-the-art instrumentation designed to support the synthesis, characterization, and safety evaluation of high-energy materials. Each tool in our facility advances energetic chemistry with precision and reliability.

Instrument Booking form

To book an instrument, please download the Instrument Booking Form and submit the completed form to the Energetic Materials Lab (EML) office.

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Ultrapyc 5000 – Gas Pycnometer for Density Measurement

A high-precision device equipped with three specialized cells for measuring material density under variable temperatures using helium and nitrogen gas.

Key Features:

  • Micro cell (4.5 cm³): Accuracy ±0.10%, Repeatability ±0.05%

  • Meso cell (1.8 cm³): Accuracy ±0.30%, Repeatability ±0.15%

  • Nano cell (0.25 cm³): Accuracy ±1.00%

  • Built-in temperature control (15 °C to 50 °C)

  • Digital pressure readout resolution: 0.0001 psi

  • Transducer accuracy: <0.1%

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Ball Drop Impact Tester – BIT 132

Designed to determine impact sensitivity of energetic materials, from highly sensitive explosives to less sensitive propellants and pyrotechnics.

Key Features:

  • Drop weights: Steel balls from 8.35 g to 534.7 g

  • Covers primary explosives to low-sensitivity formulations

  • Industry-standard safety testing

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BAM Friction Sensitivity Tester – FSA 12

A compact, portable instrument that complies with BAM procedures to evaluate the friction sensitivity of energetic compounds.

Capabilities:

  • Interchangeable loading arms

  • Load range: 0.1 N to 360 N (0.01 kg to 36 kg)

  • Can operate on standard lab workbenches

  • Ideal for on-site energetic sensitivity screening

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EXPLO5 – Thermochemical Computer Code

A comprehensive modeling tool to predict:

  • Energetic properties of compounds and mixtures

  • Detonation performance and explosibility

  • Thermochemical behavior using chemical formula, density, and heat of formation

Includes:
A robust database of reactants and products for reliable predictions across a range of energetic systems.

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Bruker ALPHA II – FT-IR Spectrometer

A compact, high-performance instrument for molecular fingerprinting and qualitative/quantitative analysis of materials.

Applications:

  • Routine analysis and quality control

  • Identification of unknowns in failure analysis or forensics

  • Adaptable to solid, liquid, and gas samples

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Differential Scanning Calorimeter & Thermogravimetric Analyzer – SDT 650

A dual-instrument system for thermal and compositional analysis of energetic materials under inert or reactive conditions.

Key Specs:

  • Temperature range: Ambient to 1500 °C

  • Heating rate: 0.1–100 °C/min

  • Calorimetric accuracy: ±2%

  • Sample capacity: 200 mg

  • Vacuum: Down to 50 µTorr

  • Precision weighing with minimal baseline drift

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UNICUBE Organic Elemental Analyzer

A high-precision analyzer for elemental composition analysis of organic and energetic compounds. The UNICUBE supports complex matrices, ensuring accurate detection of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and chlorine.

Optimized for:

  • CHNS, CHN, CNS, CN, and O* analyses

Key Features:

  • High-temperature combustion up to 1200 °C (briefly reaching 1800 °C with tin foil)

  • Jet oxygen injection for complete combustion and low gas consumption

  • TPD-based chromatography for perfect gas separation and optimized timing

Detectors:

  • Thermal Conductivity Detector (TCD)

  • Infrared (IR) Detector for sulfur and oxygen

  • Electrochemical Detector for chlorine

Sample Introduction:

  • Integrated autosampler: 60–240 positions for solids/liquids

  • 2 ml vial autosampler for liquids (50 positions, with rinse/waste vials)

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Parr 6200 Isoperibol Oxygen Bomb Calorimeter

A microprocessor-controlled instrument for measuring heats of combustion of solid and liquid fuels—ideal for quality control, research development, and energy content analysis.

Key Features:

  • Traditional removable bomb and bucket design with water jacket

  • Manual system control with semi-automatic oxygen charging

  • LCD touchscreen for intuitive operation

  • High-precision thermometer for accurate calorific measurement

  • Capable of 4–7 tests per hour with ~6 minutes operator time per test

  • Precision class: ±0.1%

Your Research, Backed by EML

At the Energetic Materials Laboratory, every instrument in our facility is maintained to the highest standards, ensuring accurate, reproducible, and safe results across all stages of experimentation. Whether it's measuring the thermal stability of a novel energetic compound, determining elemental composition, or simulating detonation behavior, our instruments empower researchers to explore complex challenges with confidence.

These facilities are not just technical assets they represent our lab’s commitment to academic excellence, safety, and scientific rigor. By combining advanced instrumentation with expert methodology, we provide a robust platform for innovative discoveries, material validation, and collaborative research at the highest level.

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Energetic Materials Laboratory Department of Chemistry,
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

Dr. Srinivas Dharavath, PhD

Contact Us​​

Whether you're a fellow researcher, a prospective student, an industry collaborator, or just curious about our work—we’d love to hear from you.

Feel free to reach out with your questions, proposals, or interest in joining the lab. We welcome scientific discussions, academic partnerships, and enthusiastic minds who are excited about the future of energetic materials.

Energetic Materials Laboratory (EML)

Lab No. 302H, old core extension

Department of Chemistry

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Kalyanpur, Kanpur - 208016
Uttar Pradesh, India

🕒 Office Hours

Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (IST)

Find Us on Campus

The EML is located in the Department of Chemistry, IIT Kanpur.
Visitors are requested to schedule meetings in advance via email.

📧 Email

Dr. Srinivas Dharavath
✉️ srinivasd@iitk.ac.in

Office: 0512-259 7826

Lab: 0512-259 2224​​

For general lab inquiries, opportunities, or collaboration requests.

Get in Touch with Us

Purpose of Contact

© 2025 Energetic Materials Lab (EML)

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