Pradeep Rohatgi


Pradeep K. Rohatgi is a professor of materials engineering, and director of the Center for Composites at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He is a world leader in the field of composite materials, particularly metal matrix composites.
He currently serves as a Wisconsin and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Distinguished Professor and the director of the . He has served on committees of the governments of the United States and India in the areas of materials in the automotive, energy, and environmental sectors. His research has been supported by that National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Naval Research and automative commands, several major corporations, including GM, Ford, GE, Rockwell, EPRI, Sunstrand, A.O. Smith. Rohatgi has coauthored eleven books and over 370 referred scientific papers. Material Science and engineering and 70 papers in technology forecasting and research management. He has 20 U.S. patents; 16969 citations and H-Index 67 as of 9 April 2020 and has received numerous awards for excellence in research.

Education and career

Rohatgi received his bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineering in 1961 from https://www.iitbhu.ac.in/. He has received his degree in 1963, Master of Science in metallurgy from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, US. He has received the degree of Doctor of Science in metallurgy from MIT in 1964. The initial discovery of the synthesis of cast aluminum matrix composites including Al-graphite, Al-SiC, and Al-Al2O3 particulate cast MMCs was made by Rohatgi in 1965 at the Merica Laboratory of the International Nickel Company in Suffern, New York. This FOorst Synthesis of cast metal matrix composite material is considered a landmark in the 11,000-year history of metal casting. Rohatgi served as founding director of the Nationall Institute of Interdesciplinary Research at Trivandrum and Advanced Material and Research Institute. In Bhopal, India, he was a professor at Indian Institute of Science in the department of Mechanical Engineering, Material Sceience and Industrial Management. In India Institute of Technology, Kanpur he pioneered incorporating renewable materials such as coir, banana and sial plant fiber into composites. "The solidification processing of metal-matrix composites: The Rohatgi Symposium."
JOM: Journal of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society ISSN 1047-4838 v. 58, number 11, p. 92 This first creation of a cast metal matrix composite material is considered a landmark in the 11,000-year history of metal casting
Rohatgi served as founding director of the Regional Research Laboratories at Trivandrum and Bhopal, and as a professor at the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, where he pioneered incorporating renewable materials such as coir, and banana and sisal plant fibers into polymer composites. He was running the research laboratory in Bhopal at the time of the gas leak disaster, but escaped unharmed and his lab was involved in studying the gas leak. He joined the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee as a Professor in the Department of Materials Engineering in 1986, and is currently Wisconsin Distinguished Professor and Director, UWM Center for Composites.

Positions held

1986 - present

Tenured Full Professor, Materials Science and Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founder and Director of Research of Laboratories for Foundry, Solidification, and Tribology at UWM, and UWM Center for Composites and UWM Center for Advanced Materials Manufacturer, Appointed professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UWM in 2010 and in Biomedical Engineering
Developed new courses on solidification, composites, and metal casting. Established the UWM Composites Center, foundry and tribology laboratories, and the Center for Advanced Material Manufacture, which helped develop world leadership in lightweight materials for civilian and military transportation systems. Received over 10 million dollars in research funding for UWM. Supervised research for a very large number of master's and doctorate students and postdoctoral fellows on topics related to materials for transportation systems. Provided consulting services to industries manufacturing lightweight materials for transportation.

1977 - 1986

Founder director of the National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology and the Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India..
Conceived goals, set up, and directed research at two new national research
Laboratories, and worked on regional industrial needs and local resources, solidification, alloy development, and composites. Both laboratories have blossomed into first-rate research institutions as a result of his initial service as Founder/Director. Pioneered the formulation of national and regional policies for science and technology, developed several new natural fiber and metal matrix composites and co-authored a book and many papers. Involved in the formulation of national and regional policies for technology and education. Concurrently Visiting Full Professor I.I.T., Delhi, and Bhopal University, 1982 1984, and Visiting Full Professor, Indian Institute of Science, 1977 1980; Visiting Full Professor, University of California, 1983.

1972 - 1977

Full Professor, Division of Mechanical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, in Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgy, and Industrial Management, and Director of Foundry Lab, Composites Lab and Technology Forecasting and Management Center.
Taught graduate and undergraduate courses in materials science, solidification, composites, technology forecasting, and materials policy. Guided doctoral and master's thesis research. Was involved in the development of National and Regional policies on Technology and Education for the future. Developed several new composites using uncoated ceramic reinforcements, wrote a book and developed a center on technology forecasting with lasting impacts on sustainable technology policy

1969 - 1972

Research Engineer, Homer Research Laboratory
Bethlehem Steel, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Research in Alloy Development, Castings, Composites
Developed new metal matrix composites. Solved problem of defects in steel castings.

1968 - 1969

Visiting Faculty, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India teaching and research in Composites, Castings, supervised research for graduate and undergraduate students
Synthesized copper and aluminum-based composites, resulting in two patents. Guided research students.

1964 - 1968

Research Metallurgist, Merica Research Laboratory,
International Nickel, Suffern, New York
Research in Composites, Castings and Alloy Development
Worked out the physics of transfer of reinforcements across the gas-liquid and solid phases leading to the first synthesis of cast matrix aluminum in composites, which became a landmark in the 11,000-year history of Metal Castings. Obtained two patents and coauthored a paper which received the best paper award from AFS

Work

Uses of Metal Matrix Composites in the Transportation Industry, inspired by the research done by Rohatgi group

ComponentsSystems
Space
  • Antenna Waveguide Mast
  • Microwave Thermal Packaging
  • Power Semiconductor Base
  • Hubble Space Telescope
  • Commercial LEO Satellite
  • Commercial GEO Comcasts
    • Automative
  • Driveshaft
  • Exhaust Valves
  • Engine Block Cylinder Liner
  • Brake Rotor
  • Chevy Corvette, Pickup
  • Toyato Altezza
  • Honda Prelude
  • Plymouth Prowler
    • Aero Propulsion
  • Fan Exit Guide Vane
  • Pratt & whitney 4XXX engines
    • AeroStructures
  • VentralFin
  • Fuel Access Door Covers
  • Rotor Blade Sleeve
  • F-16
  • F-16
  • Eurocopter EC-120, N-4
    • Thermal Management
  • Power Semiconductor
  • Motorola Power Chip
    • Recreation
  • Bicycle Frame
  • Brake Fins
  • Specialized Stump- Jumper
  • Disney Thunder Mtn Thrill Ride

    • Composites Synthesized by Rohatgi and Coworkers Using Solidification Processing

  • Al-Graphite, Al2O3
  • Al-Graphite Fiber
  • Al-SiC Particle
  • Al-Alumina Particle
  • Al- Zircon
  • Al- Titania
  • Al- Coconut Shell Char
  • Al- Illite Clay
  • Al- Rice Husk Ash
  • Al-Fly Ash
  • Al-Red Mud
  • Al-SiO2
  • Iron-Al2O3
  • Iron-Titanium Carbide
  • Lead- Graphite
  • Lead- Fly Ash
  • Al-Graphite-Silicon Carbide
  • Al-Graphite-Alumina
  • Al-Alumina
  • Al-Steel Wire
  • Copper-Graphite Particle
  • Copper-Fly Ash
  • Zinc-Graphite
  • Zinc-Fly Ash
  • Zinc- Alumina
  • Magnesium-Graphite
  • Magnesium-Fly Ash
  • Al-WC

    Honors and achievements

    • Rohatgi has been elected as a Fellow of the American Society for Metals, Institute of Metals, Institute of Ceramics, Institution of Engineers, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Third World Academy of Sciences. He has been a consultant to several industries as well as to the government of India, the state governments of Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, the World Bank and the United Nations on science, technology and development. Rohatgi has coauthored and edited eleven books, including the first monograph on biomimetic self-healing materials, and over four hundred scientific papers and holds 20 U.S. patents. In March 2006, he was honored by the holding of a "Rohatgi Honorary Symposium" on Solidification Processing of Metal Matrix Composites by The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society in San Antonio, Texas. Rohatgi was inducted into the Wisconsin Academy of Arts, Sciences & Letters in 2014.
    He has total citations 16244 as on 25 November 2019 & h-index is 66 according to Google scholar.

    U.S. patents, Granted and Filed


    1. "Process for Producing at Least one Constituent Dispersed in a Metal," U.S. Patent 3,600,163, filed 7 Oct. 1966, granted to F. A. Badia and Pradeep K. Rohatgi, 17 August 1971.
    2. "Method of Making Synthetic Resin Composites with Magnetic Fillers," U.S. Patent 3,867,299, filed 8-11-71, cited in 15 later patents, granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi, 18 February 1975.
    3. "Mold Modifications for Eliminating Freckle Defects in Roll Castings," U.S. Patent 3,882,942, filed 05-24-73, granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi and L. R. Woodyatt on 13 May 1975.
    4. "Composite Metal Bodies," U.S. Patent No. 3,885,959 filed 10 May 1971, granted to F. A. Badia and Pradeep K. Rohatgi on 27 May 1975.
    5. "Method for Separating and Recovering Kish Graphite from Mixtures of Kish Graphite and Fume," U.S. Patent 4643349 granted to P. K. Rohatgi, 13 Jan 1976.
    6. "Process for the Manufacture of Aluminum-Graphite Composite for Automobile and Engineering Applications," U.S. Patent No. 4,946,647 filed 4 May 1988, granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi, et al. on 7 August 1990.
    7. "Copper Graphite Composite," U.S. Patent 5,200,003 filed 12/28/90, granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi on 6 April 1993.
    8. "Synthesis of Metal Matrix Composites Containing Fly Ash, Graphite, Glass, Ceramics or other Metals," U.S. Patent No. 5,228,494 filed 1 May 1992, granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi, 20 July 1993.
    9. "Thermal Management of Fibers and Particles in Composites," U.S. Patent 5,407,495, granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi on 18 April 1995.
    10. "Nonferrous Cast Metal Matrix Composite," U.S. Patent No. 5,803,153 filed on 19 May 1994, and granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi on 8 August 1998.
    11. "Process for Casting a Light Weight Iron Based Material," U.S. Patent No. 5,765,624 granted to R. Hathaway and Pradeep K. Rohatgi on 16 June 1998.
    12. "Methods of Producing Metal Matrix Composites Containing Fly Ash," U.S. Patent No. 5,711,362 filed on 29 November 1995, granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi, 27 Jan 1998.
    13. "Cast Aluminum Metal Matrix Composites," U.S. Patent No. 6,183,877 B-1 filed on 20 August 1997 and granted to J. E. Bell, P. K. Rohatgi, T. F. Stephenson and A.E.M. Warner on 6 February 2001.
    14. "Metal Fly Ash Composites and Low Pressure Infiltration Methods for Making the Same," U.S. Patent No. 5,899,256 filed 3 October 1997 and granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi on 4 May 1999.
    15. "Metal Matrix Composite Including Homogeneously Distributed Fly Ash, Binder and Metal," U.S. Patent No. 5,897,943 filed 3 January 1997 and granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi on 27 April 1999.
    16. "Method of Making an Aluminum Base Metal Matrix Composite," U.S. Patent No. 5,626,692 application filed on 1 March 1994 and granted on 6 May 1997 to P. K. Rohatgi, J. E. Bell and T. Stephenson.
    17. "Separation of Cenospheres from Flyash," U.S. Patent 8074804B-2 granted 13 Dec 2011 to B. Ramme, J. Noegel, and P. Rohatgi.
    18. "Self Healing Structural Alloys - Including Aluminum and Self-Healing Solders," U.S. Patent Application no 8518531, issued on 27 August 2013 to Pradeep K. Rohatgi.
    19. "Self Healing aluminum alloys incorporating shape metal alloys and reactive particles, U.S. Patent US9435014 B2, September 2016 to Pradeep K. Rohatgi.
    20. "Self- Healing Lead Lead, tin, and their alloys and their alloys and solders, incorporating shape memory alloys, reactive particles and hollow vascular network" US101161026, 12/25/2018, issued to Pradeep K. Rohatgi.

    Indian Patents


    1. "Preparation of Metal Graphite, Mainly Copper-Graphite Composite by Casting Method," Indian Patent No. 124304 granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi, A. K. Khare, and P. K. Kelkar, 1972.
    2. "Preparation of Aluminum-Alumina Composite," Indian Patent 124305A granted to P. K. Rohatgi, S. Ray, and P. K. Kelkar, 1972.
    3. "Aluminum-base metal matrix composite," granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi, 186823 381/Del/93 16 April 1993.
    4. "A method to produce a metal matrix composite containing reinforcing material," 189673 366/Del/94, granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi, 30 March 1994.
    5. "A process for making casted nonferrous metal matrix composite shapes," 190612, 1367/Del/94, granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi, 28 October 1994.
    6. "A process for making metal matrix composites," Indian Patent No. 0582/DEL/92, granted to P.K. Rohatgi on 12 February 2000.
    7. "Synthesis of Metal Matrix Composites," Indian Patent No. 582/Del/92 granted to P.K. Rohatgi on November 23, 2000.
    8. "An aluminum-base matrix composition and a method for the preparation thereof," Indian Patent No. 381/DEL/93, granted to P.K. Rohatgi on 17 November 2001.
    9. "A process for making nonferrous metal matrix composite shapes," Indian patent No. 1367/DEL/94 granted to P.K. Rohatgi on September 8, 2003.

    European, Australian and Canadian Patents


    1. "Aluminum Base Alloy-Particulate Graphite Composites," Australian Patent 58,777,685 granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi, et al. on 3 October 1988.
    2. "Manufacturing Aluminum Alloy-Graphite Composite," British Patent GB 2194799 granted to P. K. Rohatgi et al. on 14 March 1990.
    3. "Aluminum Base Metal Matrix Composite," European Patent 567284 granted to Pradeep K. Rohatgi, on 10 November 1993.
    4. "Aluminum Base Metal Matrix Composite", Canadian Patent No. 2,094,369, granted to P.K. Rohatgi, J.A. Bell and T.F. Stephenson on 19 April 2001.
    5. "Cast Alumina Metal Matrix Composites", Canadian Patent No. 2,245,189, granted to Bell James Alexander Evert, Rohatgi Pradeep Kumar, Stephenson Thomas Francis, and Warner Anthony Edward Moline on 14 October 2003.

    Materials and Technologies Developed at UWM By Composite Center For advanced Manufacture

    Self Lubricating Materials

    The automotive industry requires lightweight metal matrix materials with improved friction and wear resistance to achieve significant weight reductions and improve fuel efficiency of vehicles. Cylinder liners, pistons, bearing surfaces are examples of the use of new low cost and lightweight self lubricating composites developed at UWM. These composites contain solid lubricants like graphite dispersed in metals like Aluminum, Magnesium and Copper to reduce frictional energy loss. In addition these composites can run under boundary lubrication in the event of loss of lubricant. These composites can be manufactured at low costs in conventional Foundries.

    Ultra light Materials

    At UWM Composite Center, materials can be tailored to be lightweight and at the same time have better properties, such as high specific strength and specific stiffness, high hardness and wear resistance, low coefficient of friction and thermal expansion or high thermal conductivity. Frame members and reinforcements, cylinder liners, water passages, catalytic converters, batteries and wind turbine blades are examples of the applications of these materials. These materials include metal matrix micro and nanocomposites, and syntactic foams, and can help to reduce the weight of transportation equipment, stationary machinery and structures. These ultra light materials can be made at low costs in conventional foundries.

    Self Healing Materials

    These are materials that incorporate shape memory alloys or hollow reinforcements filled with low-melting healing agents. Difficult-to-access, fatigue prone and critical components, such as drive shafts, wheels, steering knuckles and columns, connecting rods, aerospace components and wind turbine blades are examples of the application of these materials. These materials can heal a crack after it has opened by either closing or filling the crack. These self healing materials can be made at low costs in conventional foundries.

    Lead Free Plumbing Fixtures

    UWM has developed copper-graphite casting which can replace Lead containing copper alloy Plumbing Fixtures which are being banned due to toxicty. The copper alloy - graphite castings have similar machinability, soldering characteristics, and other properties to leaded copper alloys. Copper - graphite alloys are lighter and lower in cost compared to leaded copper alloys, in addition to being nontoxic.

    Energy Absorption Materials

    These are ultra light materials that are designed to protect people from the impact of weapons, vehicles or explosions, by the absorption of the energy generated during these impacts. Crumple zone, frame members and reinforcements, helmets, military vehicles, blast resistant structures, wind turbine blades, and pedestrian impact zones are examples of the application of these technologies. They consist of metals in which hollow microbaloons of ceramics or other metals are incorporated to form metal matrix syntactic foams. Certain Magnesium syntactic foams can have densities less than water and can float in water. These syntactic foams can be made at low costs in conventional foundries.

    Self Cleaning Metallic Components for Water Industry

    These are surface treatments for metallic components which impart super hydrophobicity, self-cleaning, antifouling, deicing and corrosion resistance to alloys, including brasses, irons, aluminum alloys and Hastelloy used in water industry and will be of interest to other industries including food processing and aircraft industry.

    Surface alloying during casting to improve corrosion and wear resistance of steel and other alloys

    Surfaces of mild steel castings can be enriched by nickel, chromium and other elements during low cost conventional casting in foundries. The surface alloyed castings are lower in cost compared to through section castings of alloys like 316 stainless steel and super duplex steel, and the hardness and corrosion resistance of surface alloyed metal steel castings is similar to stainless steel

    Technologies Developed at UWM

    Automakers are being subjected to increasingly strict fuel economy requirements, while consumers are demanding improved interior comforts and advanced electronic systems for safety, navigation, and entertainment, all of which add otherwise unnecessary weight. To meet these challenges, automotive manufacturers are turning to lightweight metals as a solution. Aluminum engine blocks, suspension components, body panels, and frame members are increasingly common, in addition to the use of magnesium in components such as instrument panels, valve covers, transmission housings, and steering-column components. Combining or replacing these efforts with the use of advanced metal-matrix micro- and nano-composites not only reduce mass, but can also improve reliability and efficiency.

    Advanced metal-matrix composites

    The Center for Composite Materials and the Center for Advanced Materials Manufacture at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are leading forces behind several innovations in the field of advanced cast metallic materials. Metal-matrix composites are metals or alloys that incorporate particles, whiskers, fibers, or hollow microballoons made of a different material, and offer unique opportunities to tailor materials to specific design needs. These materials can be tailored to be lightweight and with various other properties including:

    1. High specific strength and specific stiffness
    2. High hardness and wear resistance
    3. Low coefficients of friction and thermal expansion

    4. High thermal conductivity
    5. High energy absorption and a damping capacity
    In addition to these properties, new MMCs are being developed at UWM with self-healing, self-cleaning, and self-lubricating properties, which can be used to enhance energy efficiency and reliability of automotive systems and components.

    Pistons and cylinder liners

    Aluminum engine blocks typically require cast iron cylinder liners due to poor wear characteristics of aluminum. Porsche is using MMCs for cylinder liners by integrating a porous silicon preform into the cast aluminum block, and Honda uses a similar method incorporating alumina and carbon fibers in the bores of die cast aluminum. These practices improve wear characteristics and cooling efficiency over cast iron liners.UWM developed aluminum alloy pistons and cylinder liners containing dispersed graphite particles that provide solid lubrication. The graphite-containing aluminum has a lower friction coefficient and wear rate, and does not seize under boundary lubrication. The liner is cast in a single step using the centrifugal casting process to concentrate graphite particles near the inner periphery where they are needed to provide solid lubrication. Aluminum-graphite pistons and liners were tested in gas and diesel engines and in race cars, resulting in reduced friction coefficients and wear rates. As graphite shears under wear conditions it creates a continuous film of graphite on the aluminum and reduces the wear rate of the liner. The measured friction coefficient of Al-graphite composites is as low as 0.2. Application of this material for cylinder liners in lightweight aluminum-engine blocks enable engines to reach operating temperatures more quickly while providing superior wear resistance, improved cold start emissions, and reduced weight. Aluminum-based composite liners can be cast in place using conventional casting techniques, including sand, permanent mold, die casting, and centrifugal casting.

    Main bearings

    Copper-lead bearings used in crankshaft main-bearing caps can be replaced with lead-free aluminum- or copper-matrix composites containing graphite particles developed at UWM. Graphite is nontoxic, and the use of aluminum- and copper-graphite composite bearings as a replacement for leaded copper reduces weight. The bearings also improve wear characteristics because deformation of the graphite particles results in the formation of a continuous graphite film, which provides self-lubrication of the component, allowing for improved component longevity. These materials could benefit virtually all journal bearings in the power train. Selectively reinforced functionally gradient bearings of aluminum-graphite and copper-graphite alloys can be manufactured in a single step by centrifugal casting of metal-graphite suspensions.

    Research labs

    *
    More than 190 published articles dating back to 1966.
    Rohatgi is a native of Kanpur, India. He is a founding member of the Hindu Temple of Wisconsin.