Page 128 - CW E-Magazine (18-6-2024)

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adding on cashew apples – a waste
product from cashew nut production,
which is abundant in the Sindhudurg
district of Maharashtra. High value
products that can be made include vi-
tamins B & C, dietary fi bres and poly-
phenols.

“I will continue to understand the
relationship between fl uid mechan-
ics and design – the journey is not
completed – electrolysis for winning
of titanium, electrolytic conversion
of carbon dioxide to ethylene and un-
derstanding of turbulence phenomena
and prediction of drag lift forces,” he
Dr. Anil Kakodkar felicitating Prof. Joshi added.
On biomass pyrolysis, he stressed fuels, and agreeable to pay Rs. 25 per
the need to valorise all of the output litre.” Prof. Joshi also announced plans to
of the process – the liquids, gases and start workshops on Process Innovation,
chars. “Bharat Petroleum has agreed to Another project currently being given its potential to substantially alter
purchase the liquid to blend with their addressed by his students is value- project economics for chemicals.
Carbon nanotubes, drug delivery and process

intensifi cation – impacts of Prof. Joshi’s teachings

The seminar included presenta- In addition, Dr. Dasgupta and his gation is altered and fracture toughness
tions by some of Prof. Joshi’s research team have also developed nitrogen- improved; and the use of CNT fi bres
students, who have gone on to forge doped and palladium-dispersed CNTs with high strength and electrical con-
their own paths in academia and in- that have application in nuclear ductivity for use in making wind mill
dustrial research, as well as speakers reactors in case of accidental release of blades.
from companies where Prof. Joshi hydrogen.
made cutting-edge improvements to Systemic approach to drug delivery
processes. By far the most well-known of the Prof. Samir Mitragotri, Harvard
work undertaken at BARC with CNTs University, stressed the relevance of
Carbon nanotubes – wonder materials pertains to their use to make bullet- Prof. Joshi’s systemic approach to solv-
Dr. Kinshuk Dasgupta, Bhabha proof jackets – termed Bhabha Kavach – ing problems by understanding what
Atomic Research Centre (BARC), which have improved ballistic pro- one can; approximating what one does
presented his work on carbon-based perties compared to the traditional (and not; and appreciating how things are
materials, particularly carbon nano- imported) jackets. The technology has connected. “When you put all of this
tubes (CNTs), using fl uidised bed been transferred to several companies together, you can solve many prob-
technology to enable large-scale pro- who are producing armour-protecting lems, especially in biological systems,”
duction of these materials that have gear for the defence and paramilitary he commented, with the “power of
ten times the strength of steel and forces. simplicity”
much lower density. The technology
has been implemented at a pilot faci- Dr. Dasgupta also highlighted the de- Prof. Mitragotri also recalled Prof.
lity at BARC, wherein about 1-kg per velopment of CNT-polymer composite Joshi’s sage advise: “What happens in
day is being produced largely to meet beads used for the separation of rare earths academia, should not stay in academia.
the needs of the Department of Atomic from lean ores; as reinforcement for ce- Technology should be used for meeting
Energy (DAE). ramic composites wherein crack propa- societal needs.”

128 Chemical Weekly June 18, 2024

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