Blazing a trail in chemical science research

Updated on: Monday, September 05, 2011

Any technology focuses on the application of principles of science and engineering for the benefit of mankind. The technical knowledge and skills gained through experimentation, studies, research, design, experience, and practice are applied in diverse areas of building, construction, production, processing, and manufacturing.

Chemical process simulation is used for the design and development, analysis and optimisation of technical processes in chemical plants.

Chemical technology, by virtue of its numerous industrial applications, has a unique position among the cluster of technologies. It is widely used in a variety of areas such as fertilisers, petrochemicals, paints, polymers, ceramics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, insecticides, distilleries, water purification, cosmetics, metallurgy, mineral processing, waste management, and pollution control.

Consequently it plays a decisive role in the economic progress and development of any country.

New chemicals and new products emerging regularly enhance the efficiency of industrial as well as domestic operations.

Fuel cells, biomedical engineering, and nanotechnology do derive support from chemical technology.

In this age of convergence and synergy, chemical technology finds common ground with biology, and information & communications technology.

A top industrialist once made a humorous remark: “A remixed chemical engineer of the future would probably talk biology to engineers, engineering to biologists, and chemical engineering to politicians.”

Wireless data transmission and sensor networks in process automation are emerging dimensions in chemical technology. Effective use of the gifts of chemical technology helps in cost reduction. It facilitates the streamlining of industrial economy.

IICT

The need for systematic research in chemical technology has been appreciated well by planners and administrators.

A centre of excellence in the frontier areas of chemical sciences and technology in our country is the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) in Hyderabad. Web site: www.iictindia.org.

IICT was established in 1944; but it was then known as the Central Laboratories for Scientific & Industrial Research. In 1956, it came under the aegis CSIR, and was renamed Regional Research Laboratory, Hyderabad. It assumed the present name in 1989, in view of the expertise developed by the Institute in the field of chemical technology. The institute has, during more than six decades of its chequered history, made substantial contributions to Indian industry.

The basic objectives have been research in the chemical sciences leading to innovative processes for a variety of products necessary for human welfare such as food, health, and energy. R&D is not just theoretical exercises. It is effectively geared to meeting the requirements of technology development, transfer, and commercialisation.

IICT offers globally competitive and environmentally viable technologies for drugs and drug intermediates, organic and inorganic chemicals, agrochemicals, catalysts, polymer coatings, adhesives, oils and so on.

The institute enjoys connections with a number of clients in India and abroad. The areas of focus in the various departments are indicated below.

Agro chemicals

Developing commercially viable and green technologies

Synthesising new bioactive chemical entities for agrochemical applications

Biology

Research in bioinformatics, entomology, toxicology, and rural development

Business management

R&D provider in the field of chemical sciences and technology

Environmental friendly technologies in agrochemicals, drugs, organic intermediates, ‘fine chemicals', lipid sciences and technology, coal, gas and energy, speciality polymers and allied chemicals

Expertise in frontier areas in organic synthesis, natural product chemistry, homo and heterogeneous catalysis, nano materials, biotechnology and chemical process design.

Chemical engineering

Basic and applied research in chemical engineering.

Design and commissioning of commercial plants for organic intermediates and specialty chemicals.

Chemical and instrumental analysis

Value added analytical services both by instrumental and chemical methods for consumer and industrial goods.

Coal, gas, and energy

Development of eco-friendly processes for commercial utilization of low-grade non-caking coals

Catalytic reforming of methanol for hydrogen generation for fuel cells

Direct sourcing of value-added chemicals from coal

Computer centre

Development of efficient computer software for chemical, biological, and environmental sciences.

Design and engineering

Providing engineering support in the development and transfer of green technologies

Development of computer-aided engineering design software for chemical and bio-chemical process plant engineering

Drugs and intermediates

Development of new drugs for diseases, with special emphasis on asthma, HIV, cancer, and tropical diseases like malaria.

Basic research in synthetic organic chemistry

Development of new designer molecules to supplement the traditional methods of finding bioactive molecules from nature.

Flouro organics

Development of technologies for fluoro-organic molecules

Synthesising and bio-evaluavation of novel fluoro organic molecules with a view to identifying a lead molecule as a drug or a pesticide.

Inorganic and physical

Development of new generation enviro-catalysts and modified process technologies (green)

Lipid science and technology

Natural products

Isolation and synthesis of bioactive natural products with special emphasis on developing investigative new drugs (IND) from herbal formulations.

Information management

Organic coatings

Research in aerospace materials/ biomaterials/ aerospace applications/ controlled release polymer devices/ nano foam polyimide for low dielectric applications/ polymer-metal nano-composites

Development of environment friendly processes based on emulsion polymerization

Pre biotechnology process generator

Bench scale processes/ product development studies for biotechnology products using the Rs 2-crore PBPG facility.

Pharmacology

Creating facilities for pharmaceutical industries and contributing new knowledge in the field of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences

Blazing a trail in chemical science research

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