Muhammad Shabbir

Dr Muhammad Shabbir (Urdu) ڈاکٹر محمد شبیر
Born: August 25:, 1939 (age 84 Years) Lahore, State of Punjab, British Indian Empire (now Pakistan)
Residence: Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan
Nationality: Pakistani
Spouse: Mrs. Farkhanda Shabbir
Fields: Nuclear chemical engineering, Chemical Engineer, Hydrometallurgy
Alma mater: University of NSW Australia, 
Government College (GC), now Government College University(GCU) Lahore Pakistan.
Schooling: Sanatan Dharam Public High School (later Muslim League High School) Lahore
Muslim Model High School, Urdu Bazar, Lahore, Pakistan 
Research work:
1. Dissolution Kinetics of Uranium Dioxide into Nitric Acid (Ph.D. Thesis )under the supervision of Professor R. G. Robins.
2. "Reclamation of Waste Lubrication Oi l" (M.Sc. thesis) under the supervision of Prof. Afzal Hayat Banday.,
3. Radio Chemical Separation of Antimony 124, under the supervision of Dr. I.H. Qureshi
4. Peroxide Precipitation of uranium at United States Bureau of Mines Salt Lake City, Utah, under the supervision K. E. Tames.
Specialisations: 
Hydrometallurgy, 
Mineral processing, 
Nuclear Chemical Engineering and Chemical Engineering
Memberships/Fellowships: 
Life Fellow Pakistan Institute of Chemical Engineers. 
Life Member Pakistan Engineering Council.
Life Fellow Pakistan Nuclear Society.
Awards and Honours: 
Hilal-i-Imtiaz (1999)
The President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan conferred the civil award "Hilal-i-Imtiaz" for excellence in the field of Engineering on the occasion of 53rd Independence Day i.e. August 14, 1999.
Sitara-i-Imtiaz (1992)
The President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan conferred the civil award "Sitara-i-Imtiaz" for excellence in the field of Engineering on the occasion of 46th Independence Day i.e. August 14, 1992.
Tamgha-e-Baqa (1998)
The President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan conferred "Tamgha–i--Baqa" for excellence in the field of Atomic Energy on the occasion of 52nd Independence Day i.e. August 14, 1998. 
Gold Medals:
* Open Gold Medal in the field of Engineering and Technology in 1991. Awarded by Pakistan Academy of Science.
* Gold Medal for excellence in the field of Nuclear Materials awarded by Punjab Geological Society, Lahore in 1998
* Gold Medal for excellence in the field of Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Fuels & Materials awarded by Pakistan Institute of Chemical Engineers in 1998.
* Gold Medal for excellence in the field of Nuclear Materials Pakistan awarded by Nuclear Society in 1999. 
* Gold Medal awarded by Alumni Association of Institute of Chemical Engineering University of the Punjab in 2000.
* Gold Medal for meritorious service in completing the Nuclear Materials Project awarded by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission 2002
Institutions: 
* Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission(PAEC)
* Atomic Energy Mineral Center Lahore (AEMC)
* Chemical Plant Complex Pakistan (CPC)
* Mineral Development Project (MDP)
* Thar underground coal gasification (UCG) project
* Punjab Mineral Company (PMC)
Career and Assignments:
Muhammad Shabbir ( HI, SI, Ph.D, FPIChE ) is a Pakistani Nuclear materials and nuclearfuels engineer, swho served as the leading chemical Engineer of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC ) during 1964 -2008.
After joining Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in February 1964, he started research work on Radio Chemical Separation of Antimony 124. He also published a couple of international research papers. He used Isotopic exchange to develop a simple and rapid procedure for radiochemical separation of antimony.
Dr Shabbir won the Colombo Plan doctoral scholarship in 1966 and attended University of New South Wales (NSW) Australia. He started his research work on "Dissolution Kinetics of Uranium Dioxide into Nitric Acid", under the supervision of renowned Hydrometallurgist Professor R.G.Robins. He received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 1968. After his doctorate, Shabbir returned to Pakistan in 1968 where he started to work again in Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC).
Dr. Shabbir worked at highly responsible positions in PAEC. He established a Chemical Engineering Division at Atomic Energy Mineral Centre (AEMC) Lahore in 1970 and was appointed as the first Head of Division. He led a team, that designed, fabricated, and operated the first indigenous uranium extraction pilot plant. Based on the derived data, first mill was commissioned in Pakistan in1980. He established and headed for almost seventeen years as technical and administrative top person of Chemical Plants Complex (CPC). His contribution to the nuclear materials production program of PAEC resulted in sustained progress. 
International Assignments:
He was awarded Colombo Plan Scholarship and IAEA Fellowship. For his international assignments, he worked on the "Dissolution Kinetics of Uranium Dioxide" at the Institute of Chemical Engineering, University of NSW, Australia and refining of Uranium at Australian Atomic Energy Commission. He worked on Peroxide precipitation of Uranium at United States Bureau of Mines, industrial processing of Uranium ore at United Nuclear Homestake Partener and at Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corporation USA. During this period, he made several study tours to different Uranium Mills in the USA.
Dr Shabbir established a new Mineral Development Project (MDP) in PAEC. Within the framework of MDP, scope of work included seismotectonic & geological studies for site selection, architectural planning, structural design and analysis, planning, design and execution of tunnels, electrical systems, HVAC and mechanical systems. It also included NBC detection and protection systems, Life Support Systems, EMP & TEMPEST Protections, fire detection and suppression systems, CCTV, and System Engineering for Hardened Facilities and underground shelters having NBC protections.
Academic Assignments:
Dr. Shsbbir delivered series of lectures on Plant Design to the final year students of Metallurgy at the Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. He was Member, Board of Studies, Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of the Punjab. He also acted as external examiner of Nuclear Chemical Engineering at U.E.T and Transport Phenomenon at the Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of the Punjab. As Specialist/Expert, he evaluated the research/publications of candidates for appointment as Professor/Associate Professor in the University of Engineering and Technology Lahore. He was also Member Executive Council Pakistan Institute of Chemical Engineers and Member Academic Council of Baha-ud-Din Zakariya University, Multan.
Projects after Retirement from PAEC:
1. He worked as Managing Director Underground Coal Gasification Project Thar. Numerous wells were drilled and linked by horizontal directional drilling for mass production of syngas. These wells were constructed to achieve the following objectives:
a) Optimum methodology of underground ignition
b) Control of oxidizer pressure VS syngas parameters
c) Control of oxidizer volume VS syngas parameters
d) Optimizing the zeat value of syngas
e) Study of environmental aspect of subsoil water and air
f) Study of ground subsidence
The gas flame lit the skies of Thar on 21th May 2012. More than 180 million cft of syngas was produced during parameter establishment. The gas produced was purified and utilized for power generation using syngas engines. Coring ring vertical drilling rigs, horizontal directional drilling machine, chemical purification plant for syngas engines coupled with generators had been installed/ commissioned for underground for power generation in the coal gasification project Thar, Sindh. Powerhouse of 10,000 KVa commenced power generation on 28th May 2015. There was a total power generation of 3,054 Mva in 401 days of operation, with the utilization of 212.24 million cubic feet syngas.
2. He played significant role in the capacity of Member Governing Body & Director Technical for the assessment of iron Deposits of Chiniot Iron Ore from November, 2020 to February, 2023. The deposit is around 250 Million tons of iron ore containing 30% Iron. The assessment is based on 87 bore holes while drilling more than 73000 Meters and assays 27300 Core Samples.
Legacy:
Muhammad Shabbir is widely credited for indigenous design and development of many chemical processes and plants that are the backbone of Pakistan's nuclear programme. Muhammad Shabbir is a recipient of Pakistan's two civilian national awards; Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Hilal-e-Imtiaz. He was also awarded Open Gold Medal of Pakistan Academy of Sciences. He has always kept himself at a low profile and is often referred to as the "Unsung Hero" of Pakistan's nuclear programme.
CONFERENCES AND SEMINAR:
# Participated in the seventeenth All Pakistan Science Conference held at Karachi, Pakistan in 1995 and presented a paper on "Isotopic Exchange of Radioactive Antimony".
# Participated as an official delegate of the University of New South Wales, Australia in a symposium on "Uranium in Australia" held at Rum Jungle in June, 1968.
# Presented a paper on "Metallurgy properties and uses of Molybdenum and Tungsten" in a seminar on "Rare Metals and Rare Earth Metals" held at Atomic Energy Centre, Lahore Pakistan in April, 1969.
# Organized and demonstrated practicals to the participants of PAEC-CENTO Study Institute held at Atomic Energy Centre, Lahore Pakistan in October, 1970 on "Chemistry Around Research Reactor". Worked as a member of the organizing committee of this study Institute.
# Participated in Round Table review of up flow Fluid-Bed extraction column at Salt Lake City Metallurgy Research Centre U.S. Bureau of Mines, September 13, 1973.
# Participated in the Seminar on "Chemical Utilization of Natural Gas and Petroleum Intermediates" held at Lahore Pakistan on March 24-26, 1974. Organized by Pakistan Institute of Chemical Engineers.
# Participated in the 2nd National Seminar on Metallurgy held on 25-26 April, 1975 at University of Engineering & Technology. Lahore, Pakistan Presented the following two papers a) The comparison of the extraction Behavior of Different long Chain Amines used in the solvent Extraction of Uranium b) Percolation leaching of Uranium Ore, using concentrated Sulphuric Acid.
# Participated in the International Atomic Energy Agency Advisory Group Meeting of Uranium Ore processing held at Washington D.C. November 24-26, 1975 and presented a paper on Process Development study on Uranium Bearing Carbonatite.
# Participated in the Technical Committee meeting on "Advances in Uranium refining and conversion” organized by International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria (7-11April,1986).
# Participated in the International Symposium on “Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Reactor Strategies: Adjusting to New Realities.” Vienna, 3-6 June 1997.
# Participated in the International Conference on “Future Nuclear Systems Challenge with Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycle.” GLOBAL 97", 6-10 October 1997.
# Participated in the International Conference on “URANIUM ASIA” 18-20 November 1998. Held at Guangzhou China.
# Participated in “4th Annual World Clean Coal International Conference” China Focus 2013 - at Beijing 23 - 24 October, 2013.China.
REFERENCES
* Radiochemical separation of antimony by isotopic exchange - Elsevier By IH Qureshi, Muhammad Shabbir - 1966 - Cited by 8 - Related articles Isotopic exchange has been used to develop a simple and rapid procedure for radiochemical separation of antimony. A number of variables which affect the ...Isotopic Exchange between precipitated Antimony Oxide & Antimony Ions in Aqueous solution. J.Inorq. Nucl. Chem.28,2603 , I.H. Qureshi & Muhammad Shabbir
* Isotopic exchange between precipitated antimony oxide and antimony ... by IH Qureshi and M. Shabbir-1966 Heterogenous isotopic exchange between freshly precipitated antimony oxide and antimony ions in aqueuos solutions has been studies at different temperature
* Kinetics of the dissolution of uranium dioxide in nitric acid. II† Journal of Applied Chemistry Volume 19, Issue 2, February 1969, Pages: 52–56, Muhammad Shabbir and R. G. Robins : Article first published online : 4 MAY 2007, DOI: 10.1002/jctb.5010190205
*# Abstract
*# PDF(459K)
*# References
* The effect of crystallographic orientation on the dissolution of ... uranium dioxide in nitric acid. Authors: Shabbir, M. Publication: ...
* Hydrogen Peroxide Precipitation of Uranium ... Shabbir, M Hydrogen peroxide precipitation of uranium, by M. Shabbir and K. E. Tame. ... iI 11 Page 4. HYDROGEN PEROXIDE PRECIPITATION OF URANIUM by AUTHOR Shabbir, M. PUBLISHED 1974, File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
* URANIUM ORE PROCESSING. PROCEEDINGS OF AN ADVISORY GROUP MEETING. ORGANIZED BY THE ... Group Meeting on Uranium Ore Processing was held inWashington, DC, from 24 to ... Process development study on uranium-bearing carbonatite by M. Shabbir (IAEA-AG/33-16) ..... Uranium Industry Seminar, Grand Junction, CO, 7-8Oct.1975, 40 pp. ...
* ADVANCES IN URANIUM REFINING AND CONVERSION File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat Convened a Technical Committee Meeting on "Advances in Uranium Refining andConversion" at its Headquarters from April 7 to 10, 1986 Operating Experience of a Pilot Plant for the production of Uranium dioxide from Uranium Ore concentration By M. Shabbir page 29-42 ... www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/te_0420.pd
Category:1939 births
Category:Nuclear engineers
Category:Pakistani people
Category:University of New South Wales alumni