Although the National Center for Compositional Characterization of Materials is located in Hyderabad, it is part of the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) that is headquartered in Trombay. The center specializes in analytical services for the government, universities, and various Indian industries. It is here that new analytical methods are explored and the center serves primarily as an experimental facility. Due to its involvement with the Indian nuclear sector, the National Center for Compositional Characterization of Materials was sanctioned by the US Department of Commerce following the May 1998 tests.

According to the DAE (Government of India) Annual Report 2001-2002, the center was involved in the topographical mapping of surfaces using multi-parameter data processing. Scientists here have also developed new means of analyzing impurities in arsenious oxide. In addition to major studies with mercury and arsenic, the National Center for Compositional Characterization of Materials has reportedly discovered a visual method of determining the fluoride content in drinking water.

Sources:
[1] DAE (Government of India) Annual Report 2001-2002, Executive Summary available at www.dae.gov.in;
[2] "List of entities covered by US sanctions...from Info Times," Pakistani News Service, November 1998, http://paknews.com;
[3] "The Bureau of Export Administration: U.S. Department of Commerce," Federation of American Scientists (FAS), 26 March 1999, www.fas.org.