POF Metallurgical Laboratory

Last updated

POF Metallurgical Laboratory
Established1972 (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 is a part of POF Materials Testing Laboratories (PMTL Labs). [2]

Contents

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] Its activities include research into non-ferrous and ferrous metals, materials science as well as testing, accreditation and quality assurance. [5]

History

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]

Current Role

These days POF Metallurgical Laboratory offers a variety of material testing services, including: [1] [9]

Accreditations

The lab is accredited by various accreditation bodies including PNAC [10] and ISO 14001:2004 by TUV Austria Bureau.

Customers

Following industries utilize the services of ML:

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References

  1. 1 2 "LABORATORIES IN PAKISTAN" . Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  2. ":..PMT LABS..:". www.pmt-labs.com.pk. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  3. "Brochure PMT labs" (PDF). pmt-labs.com.pk.
  4. 1 2 Khan, Feroz Hassan (2012). Eating grass the making of the atomic bomb. Stanford, California: Stanford Security Studies, an imprint of Stanford University Press. ISBN   978-0804784801.
  5. Director of Metallurgical Lab. "Scope of Metallurgical Laboratory" (PDF). Director of Metallurgical Lab. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  6. Rehman, Shahidur (1999) [1999], "§5 The Group at Wah", Long Road to Chagai (1 ed.), Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory: Printwise Publications, pp. 75–89
  7. 1 2 Mubarakmand, Samar, "A Science Odyssey: Pakistan Nuclear Emergence", Synopsis written and delivered at the Khwarizmi Science Society of Pakistan at the Centre of High Energy Physics of Punjab University, 30 November 1998.
  8. Nayak, Pandav, Pakistan, Dilemmas of a Developing State, 1985, Aalekh Publishers, p. 252
  9. Farid Ullah Khan and Amin Ur Rahman. "An Overview" (PDF). Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  10. "Testing and Calibration Laboratories". www.pnac.gov.pk. Retrieved 1 April 2024.

Further reading