Other Names: DL
Address: Ratnada Palance
Jodhpur 342 001 India
Website: http://www.drdo.org/labs/material/dlj/index.shtml
Subordinate to: Ministry of Defense, Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
Size: Unknown
Primary Function: Research and development for equipment and weapons that can operate in desert regions

History:
The DL was established in 1959 at Jodhpur to provide facilities for carrying out exposure trials on indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured equipment and weapons in the extreme hot and dry climate of the desert region.

Activities:
The laboratory is currently working on Integrated Water Management, camouflage, radioisotopic applications, and problems related to desert operation logistic support for organizing technical/user trials in the desert areas.

The laboratory has developed a multipurpose gamma irradiation facility with a 100 kCi, Cobalt-60 source used for the sterilization of various medical and biomedical products and research activities. In addition, it has created a domestic water desalination plant of capacity 5-15 liters/hour that "is operated by conventional and non-conventional power (photovoltaic cells) for converting brackish water up to 3000ppm into potable water of < 500ppm." It has also developed a Water Testing Field Kit, which is used to assess the physico-chemical and bacteriological quality of water in the field. The chemical quality assessment is based on the determination of eight parameters—Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), chloride, nitrate, iron, hardness, nitrite, and free chlorine—and is completed in 30 minutes. Furthermore, it has been successful in the creation of an Emergency Survival Kit for Sea Water, a Water Sterilizing Outfit for Snow-bound Areas, and a Desert Water Desalting Kit. In 2000, the laboratory was successful in developing a system to create a sand- and dust-free landing zone for helicopters in just 60 seconds.

The laboratory has requested patents for a rapid technique for examination of "fecal coliform in drinking water, a medium for rapid determination of total coliform and fecal coliform in drinking water, a process for the preparation of Tetra (2-amino acetic acid) hydro periodide and its products, and a process for preparation of ion-exchange membranes."

To aid it in its research, the laboratory is furnished with the following facilities, as noted on its website:

• Gamma Chambers GC 900, 4000 A, and Co-60 and Ir-192 based Gamma Cameras
• Mass Spectrometer for D/H and 0-18/0-16
• Total Multiple Reflection X-ray Fluorescence Analyzer
• Liquid Scintillation Counter
• Atomic Absorption and UV-Visible Spectrophotometers
• Gas Chromatography
• Radiometric and Radiological Survey Equipment
• Flash X-ray Machine
• Acoustic Emission Monitoring System
• High Purity Germanium Detector System
• Tensile Testing Machine (5-ton capacity)
• 400 MHz Digital Storage Oscilloscope
• Network Analyzer/MW Network Analyzer
• RPL Dosimeter/Reader Units
• Radiation Detectors, Monitors, Spectrometers 
• Electrochemical and Chemical Etching Systems and Track
• Mossbauer Spectrometer
• Elastosonic Testing Machine and Four-channel A-E Monitoring System
• Nicolet Path Finder
• Universal Milling Machine
• Infragraphy
• Image Analyzer and Digital Image Processing System
• Pilot-plant irradiation facility

The laboratory has worked on projects with a number of academic and other national laboratories. Such projects include the development and fabrication of a Solar Powered Domestic ED Desalination Plant with REIL, Jaipur; and a project on the development of a Polyaniline Based Gas Sensor with the Department of Electronics, Government of India, New Delhi. It has also worked on a project on the growth and characterization of supersonic conductors with Gulbarga University, Gulbarga. Finally, it has worked with the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission & Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources.

The laboratory has offered classes on computers and their applications to stores and administration management, defense applications for lasers, laser instrumentation and diagnostic techniques, and the use of computers in communication technologies.

Key Sources: Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur, <http://www.drdo.org/labs/material/dlj/index.shtml>; Vijay Mohan, "Lab Unveils Dust-free Helipad," The Tribune, 4 September 2000, <http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20000905/nation.htm>; India's Defence Research and Development Organization, <http://www.indiadefence.com/DRDO.htm>; "Food Preservation by Radiation Processing," <http://www.barc.ernet.in/webpages/organization/foodtd_home_page/
rpf1.html>.

	Updated October 2003