Honoring Seshadri Seetharaman

Abstract

Seshadri Seetharaman was born on December 5th, 1943, in Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu, India. He embarked on his scientific journey in 1966 at the Indian Institute of Science, where he earned a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering in 1971. Following his doctoral studies and post-doctoral research, he joined the Department of Metallurgy at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden. At KTH, he initially served as an associate professor before being appointed as Professor of Theoretical Metallurgy in 1990. In 1996, he became Head of the Department of Metallurgy and subsequently Pro-Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.

Professor Seshadri Seetharaman's research has significantly advanced the fields of thermochemistry and thermophysics of high-temperature metal and oxide systems. His work includes experimental measurements and modeling of properties such as viscosities, thermal diffusivities, and surface and interfacial tensions. His investigations into high-temperature reaction kinetics, including heat and mass transfer, property-structure relationships, and micro-phenomena, have provided profound insights into gas-solid reactions and slag-metal interactions. Notably, he proposed the concept of interfacial velocity in slag-metal reactions and published extensively on the valence changes of metallic components in slags.

With over 400 publications in peer-reviewed journals, 160 conference presentations, and 10 patents, Professor Seetharaman's contributions bridge the gap between fundamental research and practical applications. He has been a key reader and member of the editorial boards of esteemed journals such as Metallurgical and Materials Transactions and steel research international. Additionally, he has organized and chaired numerous international conferences, promoting collaboration and innovation in the scientific community. Renowned as a dedicated educator, he has been an inspiring teacher, a supportive PhD supervisor, and a respected colleague.

Professor Seetharaman's exceptional teaching abilities have been widely recognized. He was nominated eight times as the best teacher in the materials design program at KTH and received the President's Award for meritorious teaching in 1994. In 2004, he was named the best teacher at KTH. Among his many honors, he received the Brimacombe Prize in 2010 and has been recognized as an honorary member of the Iron and Steel Institute of Japan, an honorary doctor at Aalto University in Finland, and an honorary professor at the Metallurgical Academy of Ukraine and the University of Science and Technology Beijing. His renowed career also includes serving as a Mercator Professor at TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany (2011–2012), and a visiting professor at Kyoto University, Japan. In 2013, he was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

The scientific seminar marking Professor Seetharaman's retirement was an international event reflecting the breadth of his influence. As the chief editor of both the first and second editions of the encyclopedic Treatise on Process Metallurgy, he provided an invaluable resource for scientists and engineers, offering a comprehensive overview of the field. He continues to contribute to the scientific community as a visiting professor at TATA Steel in Jamshedpur, India.

This special issue of steel research international celebrates Professor Seshadri Seetharaman's 80th birthday, which was commemorated in December 2023. I extend my gratitude to the editors for curating this issue and to the contributing researchers for their valuable input. All contributors unite in their very best wishes for Professor Seshadri Seetharaman's future, especially for his good health, and look forward to his forthcoming publications.

Olena Volkova

Professor Dr. Seshadri Seetharaman