Volume1 Issue 5 August 2002

Editorial

The two-day refresher course in Process Simulation was a great learning experience not only to the 40 odd participants, but also for us at IIChE-MRC. Since the programme was intended to provide ‘hands-on’ exposure to Simulation, keeping in mind the availability of computers and the architectural constraint of the seminar room, the number of participants had to be restricted to 40 on a first come first served basis. That the forty seats got filled up in hardly any time requiring us to turn down quite a few aspirants, is an eloquent testimony to the enormous hunger for continuing education among the chemical engineering fraternity.

Like Process Simulation, there are several other ‘cutting-edge’ subjects like Pinch Technology and Computational Fluid Dynamics etc. begging for Refresher Courses and Workshops. IIChE can very effectively cater to this need and help engineers improve and upgrade their competence levels. Needless to say that it requires support from individuals and industry alike, with IIChE acting as a mere catalysing agent.

In USA engineers need a licence if they desire to practice privately. Such licences need to be renewed periodically, and several states have imposed mandatory continuing education requirements for re-licensing. As knowledge starts becoming a commodity under the WTO regime, India will need to have effective accreditation and licensing procedures if its large pool of engineers have to transport their skills and talents to other parts of the world.

K.Sahasranaman

You would not believe that industrial production recorded the lowest growth of 2.7% last year. NACER’S Business Confidence Survey has shown insufficient demand being the main factor inhibiting the growth in production in all segments of industrial sector. The recent industrial survey covering manufacturing sectors and service sectors for April – June 2002 has indicated a revival in the manufacturing sector over the corresponding numbers in 2002. Industrial production posted a growth of 4% in June 2002 as against 2.6% in the corresponding period last year. Refining capacity in the country as on April 2002 is 115 mtpa as against the demand of 99 mtpa including imports. We therefore come across a gloomy scenario in various sectors pertaining to Chemical Process Industry. We expect that the economic reforms and dis-investment programme going through might bring cheer in the investment climate.

While the Chemical Industry is going through bad patch for last two years the chemical engineers need to get together and discuss the way forward to bring the industry to better shape. We at Mumbai Regional Centre are organising several programmes and expect your presence in them. We are convening an Annual General Meeting ON 28^TH Sept 2002 and shall be grateful for your presence. The General Body Meeting will finalise for the next year the Executive Committee who will be able to carry forward the work under implementation by the present committee.

On behalf of the present committee I sincerely thank you for your support and expect the same to be available to the new Executive Committee.

D.P.Misra

Advantages of Modelling

• Reliable mathematical models become a very convenient tool to predict the behavoiur of the process.
• Exploratory studies done using these models do not disturb the normal operation of the plant
• Mathematical modelling can be used to study conditions at which it is not normally possible to run an existing plant because of system limitations or safety reasons.
• Planning and conducting experiments in the field are much more expensive and sometimes could be prohibitive.
• Mathematical models can become a convenient tool for scale up.
• System responses to changes are predicted very quickly due to availability of high speed computer hardware.
  

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Design of tailor-made performance chemicals based on modeling of molecular recognition phenomena at solid/solution interfaces

Abstract of Lecture delivered by

Dr. Pradip (Tata Research Development & Design Centre)

The development of tailor-made additives, designed for enhancing the performance of specific particulate processing unit operations is vital for the minerals and materials processing industry. Some examples include

• design of highly efficient dispersants for paints, pigments and advanced ceramics applications
• controlling the wettability/compatibility of dispersed phase through the application of suitable additives for applications in mineral processing (selective flotation reagents and tailor made flocculants)
• textiles (finishing agents)
• cements (grinding aids, super-plasticizers)
• water treatment (corrosion inhibitors) and
• fertilizers/alumina production (crystal modifiers).

Both the choice of the functional group as well as selection of an appropriate molecular architecture (aliphatic, aromatic or polymeric chains) depending on its end use determines its efficacy for a given application.

Recent research efforts clearly indicate a definite paradigm shift from conventional trial & error methodologies to a rational, robust approach to design/selection of performance chemicals/reagents/additives, tailor made for specific applications. Two important components of this novel paradigm of reagents design are:

1. identification of molecular recognition mechanisms underlying selective adsorption at solid/solution interfaces and
2. development/validation of appropriate molecular modeling techniques/tools for screening/shortlisting the promising molecules based on theoretical computations alone, for a target application.

The utility and power of our molecular modeling based design approach is illustrated in this presentation with the help of a few selected examples drawn from our own work. The case studies include design of three family of reagents belonging to phosphonic acids, carboxylic acids and hydroxamic acids respectively, in order to control the wettability of calcium minerals (fluorite, calcite and fluorpatite); design of phosphonic acid based corrosion inhibitors; optimization of the molecular architecture of carboxylic acid derivatives as crystal growth modifiers & also as dispersants for titania based paints and design of appropriate dispersants for alumina and zirconia ceramic suspensions.

The steady improvement in the speed of computers and the available memory size since the 1950s has led to the emergence of computational fluid dynamics. This branch of fluid dynamics complements experimental and theoretical fluid dynamics by providing an alternative cost effective means of simulating real flows. As such it offers the means of testing theoretical advances for conditions unavailable on an experimental basis.

The role of CFD in engineering predictions has become so strong that today it may be viewed as a new third dimension of fluid dynamics, the other two dimensions being the above stated classical cases of pure experimental and pure theory.

CFD finds its application in the Chemical Industry in following processes such as:

Reaction, Materials Processing, Mixing, Fluid Handling, Control, Pump Design, Heat Transfer and Mass Transfer, Emission, Filtration etc.

"Within a few years, it is to be expected, surgeons will conduct operations which may affect the flow of fluids within the human body (blood, urine, air, the fluid within brain) only after their probable effects have been predicted by CFD methods"

Convener: Prof. Sanjay Mahajani

Department of Chemical Engineering,

IIT-Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400 076

Tel: 5767246

Email: sanjaym@che.iitb.ac.in

Bio-data of MRC Members contesting for National Council

1965 batch First Class Chemical Engineer from Jadavpur University, is presently Deputy Managing Director of Jacobs H&G Ltd. a leading Engineering Consultancy Organisation Prior to his joining Jacobs H&G, he had the following assignments:

Managing Director, Bharat Process & Mechanical Engineering Ltd.

Managing Director, Orissa Industrial & Technical Consultancy Organisation (a subsidiary of IDBI)

General Manager, Krebs India (P) Ltd.

He is presently involved in following organizations:

Chairman, IIChE, Mumbai Regional Centre

Member, Energy & Technology Sub Committee of ICMA

Member, CII Western Zone, Chemical Sub Committee

Prof. G.P. Kane, Visiting Professor at UICT, Mumbai

During his tenure of 37 years in Engineering Consultancy in Chemical Industry, he has been associated with many first time technologies to India like Hydrochloric Acid Route of manufacture of Phosphoric Acid, Neolyte Pickling of Stainless Steel, Spray Roasting of Ferric Chloride Liquor, etc. He has traveled extensively to USA, Europe, Asia and Africa.

Graduated in 1976, is presently Managing Director M/S Blast Carboblocks Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai. Earlier had been in the MP State government job before laying the foundations of this large enterprise in 1986. Specializes in developing and manufacturing Impervious Graphite Equipment for Chemical Process Industry.

Has been associated with Mumbai Regional Center’s activities like participation in organising annual seminars and fund raising programmmes efectively. The support to CHEMCONS and to ‘Indian Chemical Engineer’ has been well appreciated. Has been encouraging the formation of student chapters of TTChE by way of gifting graphite equipment to such colleges. Assisted them in organising of seminars etc also. Actively associated with many professional and social organizations for more than ten years.

Ph.D Tech in Chemical Technology from UDCT 1976, has worked with chemical industries, R&D for over 19 years before taking up the position of Professor of Paints Technology in UDCT in 1993. Guided 8 PhD and 6 Masters students. A successful consultant to several chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. Also treasurer of IIChE, Mumbai Regional Centre.

B.Chem. Engg (HBTI Kanpur), M.Chem Engg (IT, BHU, 1970), PhD Tech (UDCT, 1975) Held faculty Positions in BHU IT and HBTI. Subsequently worked for 3 years with Fertilisers Association of India and authored two books. Joined Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers Ltd. Mimbai in 1980 and rose to Dy.G.M (R&D and Quality Control there. Published 30 papers in Indian and British technical journals. Member of AIChE. Member of IIChE since 1968, presently Fellow. Served as Council Member (1998-2000) Presently Vice Chairman, IIChE – Mumbai Regional Centre. Examiner of PhD theses at IIT and BHU. Guided 4 students for research degrees. Served various committees of BIS.

NOTICE of AGM

The 42^nd Annual General Meeting of the Mumbai Regional Centre of Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers will be held on 28^th September 2002, 5.30 pm at Old Auditorium, UICT, Matunga, Mumbai. In the absence of quorum, the meeting will be adjourned for 15 minutes and recommence at 5.45 pm.

The agenda for the Meeting shall be as folllows:

1. To read and confirm the minutes of the 41^st AGM.
2. To read and adopt the annual report for the year Oct 2001 – Sept 2002.
3. To read and adopt the audited statement of accounts for the year ending March 2002
4. To elect the new Executive Committee for the year Oct 2002 – Sept 2003.
5. To appoint the auditor for the next financial year.
6. Any other matter with the permission of the Chair.

Signed

K.Sahasranaman

Hon.Secretary

Website of the Month

This month’s site is http://webbook.nist.gov, the database of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Don’t let the Spartan look of this website fool you. It has a collection of thermochemical data (enthalpy of formation, enthalpy of combustion, heat capacity, vapour pressure etc) for over 6000 compounds and thermochemistry data (enthalpy and free energy of reaction) for over 9000 reactions in its huge database. The information about a specific compound can be searched from the database using the name, formula, molecular weight, chemical structure or CAS registry number

Send your feedback on this and the Newsletter in general to secretary@iichemrc.org. Of course do keep visiting www.iichemrc.org for the MRC news and www.iiche.org.in for the news from the IIChE Headquarters.

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