Established | 1972 |
---|---|
Field of research | |
Location | Wah in Punjab, Pakistan |
Operating agency | Pakistan Ordnance Factories |
Website | https://www.pmt-labs.com.pk/ |
The POFMetallurgical Laboratory (also known as "ML") is a research and development laboratory located near the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) in Wah Cantonment, Punjab, Pakistan. [1] It's a part of POF Materials Testing Laboratories (PMTL Labs). [2]
Established in 1972 to study non-ferrous metals, it played an important role during the development of Pakistan's clandestine nuclear weapons program. [3] [4] It's activities include research into non-ferrous and ferrous metals, materials science as well as testing, accreditation and quality assurance. [5]
The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) used the Metallurgical Laboratory in 1972 to conduct basic research into the chemistry and physical metallurgy of non-ferrous metals. Dr. Khalil Qureshi played a pioneering role as the lab's principal investigator. [6] [7]
The lab also undertook classified studies, as codename: Wah Group Scientists, in designing and developing the non-nuclear physical components and performing metallurgy testing of explosives to be used in nuclear devices under Dr. Zaman Sheikh, a physical chemist. [8] The importance of its work in materials science and understanding the chemistry and metallurgy of plutonium evolved in the Metallurgical Laboratory into a critical laboratory, similar to the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology. [7] Due to the sensitivity of the projects and security concerns of scientists at the Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), the program was definitely moved to KRL in the 1980s. [4]
These days POF Metallurgical Laboratory offers a variety of material testing services, including: [1] [9]
The lab is accredited by various accreditation bodies including PNAC [10] and ISO 14001:2004 by TUV Austria Bureau.
Following industries utilize the services of ML:
Abdul Qadeer Khan,, known as A. Q. Khan, was a Pakistani nuclear physicist and metallurgical engineer who is colloquially known as the "father of Pakistan's atomic weapons program".
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