Dr. R . Mohammed Saleem
- Dr. R . Mohammed Saleem
- Scientist - C
- Msaleem.niist@csir.res.in
- +917200310522
Dr. Mohammed Saleem, a Rubber Technologist, was born and raised in a rural village in Villupuram district, India. He holds strong academic credentials in Polymer Science and Rubber Technology, having completed his M.Tech and Ph.D. with specialization in rubber technology and materials science. His doctoral research focused on advanced elastomeric systems, with particular emphasis on reinforcing filler modification and the development of comprehensive characterization methodologies for performance evaluation.
He has substantial research and technical experience in rubber and tyre materials, he joined Indian Rubber Materials Research Institute as an Associate Researcher and later serving as Senior Scientific Officer. His experience includes advanced material testing, NABL (ISO/IEC 17025:2017) quality systems and inter-laboratory comparison (ILC) programs and so on. He is a Certified Internal Auditor for ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015. His technical proficiency spans the operation and interpreting data from advanced instruments such as RPA, DSC, TGA, FTIR, MDR, Mooney viscometer, UTM, GC–MS and ICP systems, alongwith expertise in fatigue analysis, Banbury mixing, abrasion and heat build-up evaluation using Goodrich flexometer.
Currently, he serves as Scientist-C in the Materials Science and Technology Division at CSIR–National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST),Thiruvananthapuram. His research interests encompass the development of sustainable elastomeric materials, rubber science and technology, compounding and formulation design, vulcanization systems, green tyre technologies with emphasis on silica-reinforced systems, advanced testing and characterization and sustainable recycling and reprocessing of rubber materials.
Beyond his primary research, Dr. Saleem is actively involved in interdisciplinary initiatives related to QMS, rubber processing, testing methodologies and industrial product development. His expertise further extends to reverse engineering and failure analysis of rubber and allied materials, as well as training, technology transfer and the establishment of advanced testing and research facilities in the domain of rubber science and engineering.
Academic Qualifications:
| Degree | Specialization | Institution | Year |
| Ph.D in Technology | Rubber Technology | Anna University, Chennai | 2018-2023 |
| Masters in Technology (M.Tech) |
Rubber Technology | Madras Institute of Technology Campus, Anna University | 2014-2016 |
| Bachelors in Engineering (B.E) |
Mechanical Engineering | University College of Engineering -Villupuram |
2010-2014 |
Research Interest:
- Science and technology of rubber and elastomeric materials
- Rubber compounding, formulation development and vulcanization systems
- Green tyre technologies with emphasis on silica-based reinforcement systems
- Hybrid fillers system for rubber reinforcement.
- Advanced polymer testing, characterization and analytical techniques
- Sustainable recycling and reprocessing technologies for rubber materials
- Reverse engineering and product development of rubber components
- Failure analysis of rubber and allied materials
Professional Experiences:
- 2026 - Present: Scientist -C, CSIR - NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
- 2024 - 2026: Senior Scientific Officer, Indian Rubber Materials Research Institute,SriCity, Andhra Pradesh India.
- 2023 - 2024: Research Associate, Indian Rubber Materials Research Institute, Thane,Maharashtra, India.
- 2019 - 2022: CSIR - Direct Senior Research Fellow at Dept of Rubber & Plastics Technology, Anna University-MIT Campus, Chennai, India.
- 2019: Anna Centenary Research Fellow at Dept of Rubber & Plastics Technology, Anna University-MIT Campus, Chennai, India.
Professional Affiliations:
- Life Member - Indian Rubber Institute
- Life Member - Society of Polymer Science-India
- Life Member - Sakura Science Club -Japan
Professional Activities:
- Reviewer - Journal of Applied Polymer Science
Publications:
- Mohammed Saleem, R, Natchimuthu, N. Dispersion and vulcanization characteristics of nitrile rubber reinforced with N,N‐ dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride treated silica. Journal of Applied Polymer Science. 2021; e50611. https://doi.org/10.1002/app.50611.
- Mohammed Saleem, R, Natchimuthu, N. Evaluation performance properties of poly (styrene-co-Butadiene) rubber reinforced with N,N‐dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride treated silica. Journal of Applied Polymer Science. 20213368. https://doi.org/10.1002/app.52498.
Accomplishments and Awards:
- Research Associate - Awarded by IRMRA for a DCPC project sponsored by the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, GoI
- Certificate of Appreciation - Recognized for contributions in establishing Advanced Rubber Testing Facilities under the DST-FIST program at Anna University - MIT Campus, Chennai.
- Direct-Senior Research Fellowship (2019) - Awarded by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-HRDG), Government of India (Award No: 09/468(0539)/2019-EMR-I).
- Anna Centenary Research Fellowship - Granted by Center for Research, Anna University, Chennai (CFR/ACRF-2019/AR-1).
- Sakura Science Exchange Program - Participated at Shibaura Institute of Technology,Tokyo, Japan.
- Best Outgoing Student Award & Institute Medal (2015-2016) – honoured by the MIT Alumni Association.
- First Rank & Gold Medalist - Awarded in M.Tech- Rubber Technology (Anna University)
- Secretary - Led the National Level Technical Symposium AGNIMITHRA'13, UCEV.
Conferences and Workshops:
| S.No | Title | Event | Date | Organized by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Green Technologies and Sustainable Materials driving the future Rubber Industries | ESG Tech Workshop | November 11, 2025 | Diamler India Commercial Vehicles- Chennai |
| 2 | Modified EPDM use as Alternative Material for 6PPD in NR and SBR Formulations | EPDM Conference | September 22, 2025 | Technobiz, Thailand |
| 3 | Rubber Processing technolgy through RPA | Invited Lecture | February 18, 2023 | Emerald Tyres, Gummidipoondi |
| 4 | Thermal Degradation of Bio- Filler Based Rubber Composites: Recent Developments and future perspectives | India-Europe Joint Event, International Conference on Advancements in Materials Science and Technology (iCAM 2022) | November 02-04, 2022 | Centre of Excellence for Energy Research, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology |
| 5 | Nano-Materials Enhanced Gas Barrier Properties for Tire Inner Liner Applications | 7th International Conference on Nano Science and Nanotechnology (ICONN-2023) | March 27- 29,2023 | Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology-Chennai |