20+ Senior Research Fellow Interview Questions and Answers

The temperature range for various heat treatments in metallurgy varies depending on the specific process.

• Annealing temperature range: 300-1200°C

• Quenching temperature range: Room temperature to 200°C

• Normalizing temperature range: 800-950°C

• Austempering temperature range: 250-450°C

• Other heat treatments have their own specific temperature ranges

• Temperature ranges can also vary depending on the type of metal being treated

Loads acting on a car while moving on the road

• Weight of the car

• Frictional force between the tires and the road

• Air resistance or drag

• Inertia

• Centrifugal force while turning

• Additional weight of passengers and cargo

Steel is used for spring manufacturing due to its high strength, durability, and elasticity.

• Steel has high tensile strength, making it ideal for withstanding the stress and pressure of springs.

• Steel is durable and resistant to deformation, ensuring a longer lifespan for the springs.

• Steel has excellent elasticity, allowing the springs to return to their original shape after being compressed or stretched.

• Other metals may not possess the same combination of strength, durability,...read more

IP, BP, USP are pharmacopoeial standards. Friability test is a measure of tablet strength. Tablet QC parameters include weight, hardness, disintegration, dissolution, etc.

• IP, BP, USP are standards set by Indian Pharmacopoeia, British Pharmacopoeia, and United States Pharmacopeia respectively

• Friability test measures the ability of a tablet to withstand abrasion during handling and packaging

• Tablet QC parameters include weight variation, hardness, disintegration time, dissolutio...read more

Heat treatment processes differ in temperature, time, and cooling rate to achieve desired material properties.

• Annealing: heating and slowly cooling to reduce hardness and increase ductility

• Quenching: rapid cooling to increase hardness and strength

• Tempering: heating and cooling to increase toughness and reduce brittleness

• Normalizing: heating and cooling to refine grain structure and improve machinability

• Hardening: heating and cooling to increase hardness and wear resistance

• Sph...read more

Exergy is a measure of the maximum useful work that can be obtained from a system.

• Exergy is a thermodynamic property that measures the maximum useful work that can be obtained from a system.

• It is also known as availability or available work.

• Exergy is useful in analyzing and optimizing energy systems.

• It takes into account the quality of energy and the irreversibilities in a system.

• For example, a cup of hot coffee has a higher exergy than a cup of cold coffee because the hot co...read more

GD&T symbols include geometric symbols, datum feature symbols, and material condition modifiers.

• Geometric symbols include straightness, flatness, circularity, cylindricity, and profile of a surface

• Datum feature symbols include datum target, datum feature simulator, and datum feature identifier

• Material condition modifiers include maximum material condition, least material condition, and regardless of feature size

• GD&T symbols are used to specify the geometric requirements of a ...read more

Heat treatments include annealing, tempering, quenching, and case hardening. Each process has unique properties and uses.

• Annealing involves heating and slowly cooling to soften metal and improve ductility.

• Tempering involves heating and cooling to increase toughness and reduce brittleness.

• Quenching involves rapid cooling to increase hardness and strength.

• Case hardening involves adding a hard outer layer to a softer metal.

• Each process has specific temperature and time requireme...read more

The diameter of DI pipes used during the continuous casting process varies depending on the specific application.

• The diameter of DI pipes used in continuous casting can range from 100mm to 1000mm or more.

• The diameter is determined by factors such as the size of the casting machine, the type of metal being cast, and the desired output.

• For example, a smaller diameter pipe may be used for casting smaller products like rods or bars, while a larger diameter pipe may be used for ca...read more

Cryogenic process of heat treatment involves cooling materials to extremely low temperatures to improve their properties.

• Materials are cooled to temperatures below -150°C using liquid nitrogen or helium.

• This process improves the wear resistance, toughness, and dimensional stability of materials.

• Common applications include treating tool steels, aerospace alloys, and superconducting materials.

• The process can also be used for stress relieving and improving the magnetic propertie...read more

Functional remote sensing involves using satellite or aerial imagery to gather information about the Earth's surface and its processes.

• Utilizes satellite or aerial imagery to collect data

• Analyzes the data to understand processes on Earth's surface

• Can be used for monitoring land use changes, vegetation health, and environmental impacts

• Helps in disaster management and urban planning

• Examples include monitoring deforestation using satellite images or tracking crop health using ae...read more

Strength and hardness are related but not the same. Strength is the ability to withstand force while hardness is resistance to deformation.

• Strength refers to the ability of a material to withstand an applied force without breaking or deforming.

• Hardness refers to the resistance of a material to deformation, scratching, or abrasion.

• A material can be strong but not hard, such as rubber, or hard but not strong, such as glass.

• The relationship between strength and hardness depends ...read more

Heat treatment includes annealing, tempering, quenching, and normalizing.

• Annealing involves heating the material to a specific temperature and then cooling it slowly.

• Tempering involves heating the material to a specific temperature and then cooling it quickly.

• Quenching involves heating the material to a specific temperature and then cooling it rapidly.

• Normalizing involves heating the material to a specific temperature and then cooling it in still air.

• Each form of heat treatme...read more

Regulatory bodies are organizations that enforce rules and regulations in various industries to ensure safety, fairness, and compliance.

• Regulatory bodies exist in various industries such as finance, healthcare, food and drug, and environmental protection.

• They create and enforce rules and regulations to ensure safety, fairness, and compliance.

• Examples of regulatory bodies include the FDA, SEC, EPA, and FCC.

• Regulatory bodies may also conduct inspections, investigations, and aud...read more

Continuous cooling curves show the cooling behavior of a material during solidification.

• Continuous cooling curves are used to determine the cooling rate required for a material to achieve a desired microstructure.

• They are plotted by cooling a sample at a constant rate and measuring its temperature as a function of time.

• The curves can be used to predict the formation of different phases and microstructures in the material.

• Examples of materials that can be analyzed using contin...read more

Used black box testing methodology to ensure functionality and user experience met requirements.

• Conducted functional testing to ensure all features worked as intended

• Performed regression testing to ensure new updates did not break existing features

• Conducted user acceptance testing to ensure user experience met requirements

• Used boundary value analysis to test input validation

• Used equivalence partitioning to test different input scenarios

• Tested error handling and recovery

• Used e...read more

Springs are used to store and release mechanical energy in various applications.

• Springs are used to absorb and store energy, which can then be released gradually or all at once.

• They are commonly used in mechanical systems to provide cushioning, suspension, or tension.

• Examples include car suspension systems, door hinges, and watches.

• Different types of springs include coil springs, leaf springs, and gas springs.

Fe-C diagram shows the phases of iron-carbon alloys at different temperatures and carbon concentrations.

• The diagram is also known as the iron-carbon phase diagram.

• It is used to understand the behavior of steel and cast iron.

• The diagram shows the different phases of iron and carbon at different temperatures and carbon concentrations.

• The diagram has three main regions: austenite, ferrite, and cementite.

• The eutectoid point is an important feature of the diagram.

• Bifurcations occu...read more

Major aircraft structural parts include fuselage, wings, empennage, and landing gear.

• Fuselage: main body of the aircraft where passengers and cargo are carried

• Wings: provide lift and support the aircraft in flight

• Empennage: includes the tail section with horizontal and vertical stabilizers

• Landing gear: supports the aircraft during landing and takeoff

GIS is used in terrain field for mapping, analysis, and visualization of spatial data.

• Mapping terrain features such as elevation, slope, aspect, and land cover

• Analyzing terrain characteristics for environmental impact assessments

• Visualizing terrain data for urban planning and disaster management

• Creating 3D models of terrain for simulation and visualization

• Monitoring changes in terrain over time using remote sensing data

CBC and EBC modes are different encryption modes used in cryptography.

• CBC (Cipher Block Chaining) mode uses the output of the previous block as an input to the current block

• EBC (Electronic Codebook) mode encrypts each block of data independently

• CBC mode is more secure than EBC mode because it introduces randomness and prevents patterns in the encrypted data

• EBC mode is faster and simpler than CBC mode, but less secure

• CBC mode is commonly used in applications where data securit...read more

I have extensive experience with data modelling.

• I have worked on various data modelling projects throughout my career.

• I am proficient in using tools such as ERD diagrams and UML diagrams.

• I have experience in designing and implementing databases for different applications.

• I have also worked on data warehousing projects, designing and implementing data marts and data warehouses.

• I am familiar with different data modelling techniques such as conceptual, logical, and physical mode...read more