Department of Chemical Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) is a premier institute of science and technology established in 2008. IITH has been consistently ranked in the&nbsp;<a href="https://iith.ac.in/reports/" rel="noopener noreferrer">top 10 institutes</a>&nbsp;in India for Engineering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nirfindia.org/2021/EngineeringRanking.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">according to NIRF</a>&nbsp;making it one of the most coveted schools for science and technology in the country.

IITH offers&nbsp;<a href="https://iith.ac.in/academics/under-graduate/">undergraduate programs</a>&nbsp;in all the classical engineering disciplines, applied sciences, design, as well as several modern interdisciplinary areas. Students are given a flexibility to explore a broad set of areas, and potentially pursue a minor or double major in a discipline that is not their own. Students who wish to seek a deeper understanding of their own discipline are strongly encouraged to get involved in cutting-edge research with the help of a faculty to mentor them, and earn an Honors in their own field.

The very foundation of IIT Hyderabad is based on&nbsp;<a href="https://iith.ac.in/research/">research and innovation</a>. The vibrant research culture is evident from the number of patents and publications that IITH produces consistently every year. IITH offers&nbsp;<a href="https://iith.ac.in/academics/programmes-offered/">graduate programs</a>&nbsp;at both a masters, and a doctoral level, in several diverse areas. There are separate programs for technology, design, science, and liberal arts. The&nbsp;<a href="https://iith.ac.in/academics/post-graduate/">MTech program</a>&nbsp;is offered in various modes and durations to cater to the ever-growing need of postgraduate level professionals in the country.

IITH encourages and supports&nbsp;<a href="https://iic-iith.netlify.app/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">innovation and entrepreneurship</a>&nbsp;at every stage. The minor program in entrepreneurship is open to all students of IITH, and many of the courses are offered by industrialists who are entrepreneurs themselves. There are various&nbsp;<a href="https://iith.ac.in/research/centres-incubators/">innovation centers and incubators</a>&nbsp;that promote entrepreneurship and help mentor young innovators. IITH has been very successful in building tie-ups with leading academic institutions around the globe.

IITH enjoys a very special relationship with Japanese universities and industries that goes beyond academic and research collaborations. In fact, some of the iconic buildings in IITH campus will carry the signature of Japanese architecture.

IITH creates a unique holistic ecosystem for education that offers interactive learning, a very flexible academic structure, cutting-edge research, strong industry collaboration, and entrepreneurship. This is an environment which enables students and faculty to translate their dreams into realities.

IIT Hyderabad

World University root node

AIChE Journal

On electroneutrality condition inside solid conducting porous film

A titania based mixed oxide support, 90 wt % TiO2-Al2O3 (9OTi-Al) was synthesized by sol-gel method and characterized. The XRD pattern revealed no rutile peak even up to a calcination temperature of 1073 K. Several vanadium oxide catalysts supported on 9OTi-Al were synthesized by the incipient wetness impregnation method. The detailed characterization studies revealed presence of only molecularly dispersed surface vanadia species. Adsorption of alkane (ethane or propane) over supported vanadia catalysts showed various adsorbed species such as alkoxide, aldehyde/ketone, formate, acetate, and enolate species. The formation of alkoxide species suggested that the adsorption of alkane occurred through the abstraction of hydrogen. The carboxylated species formed from aldehyde/ketone or enolate species were the precursor for the formation of carboxides. The activity studies of xV9OTi-Al catalysts calcined at different temperature revealed that the variation in activity depends on calcinations temperature and vanadia loading. However, the activity was not related to the decrease in surface area and anatase to rutile phase transformation. Contact time studies and kinetic parameters estimated revealed that the activity and propylene yield depends on the vanadia loading. The kl/k2 ratio, which is an important parameter for tuning propylene yield, increased with an increase vanadium oxide loading. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 8th World Congress of Chemical Engineering (Montréal, Quebec, Canada 8/23-27/2009).

8th World Congress of Chemical Engineering: Incorporating the 59th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference and the 24th Interamerican Congress of Chemical Engineering

Alkane ODH reaction on V2O5/TiO2-A12O3 catalysts: In-situ DRIFT and reactivity studies

The photocatalytic and thermal degradations of poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(butyl acrylate), and their copolymers of different compositions were studied. The photocatalytic degradation was investigated in o-dichlorobenzene in the presence of two different catalysts, namely, Degussa P-25 and combustion synthesized nanotitania (CSN-TiO2). The samples were analyzed by using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) to obtain the molecular weight distributions (MWDs) as a function of reaction time. Experimental data indicated that the photodegradation of these polymers occurs by both random and chain end scission. A continuous distribution kinetic model was used to determine the degradation rate coefficients by fitting the experimental data with the model. Both the random and specific rate coefficients of the copolymers decreased with increasing percentage of butyl acrylate (BA). Thermal degradation of the copolymers was investigated by thermo-gravimetry. The normalized weight loss profiles for the copolymers showed that the thermal stability of the copolymers increased with mole percentage of BA in the copolymer (PMMABA). The Ozawa method was used to determine the activation energies at different conversions. At low acrylate content in the copolymer, the activation energy depends on conversion, indicating multiple degradation mechanisms. At high acrylate content in the copolymer, the activation energy is independent of conversion, indicating degradation by a one-step mechanism. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research

Photocatalytic and thermal degradation of poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(butyl acrylate), and their copolymers

Different compositions of poly(methyl methacrylate-co-methyl acrylate) (PMMAMA), poly(methyl methacrylate-co-ethyl acrylate) (PMMAEA) and poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate) (PMMABA) copolymers were synthesized and characterized. The photocatalytic oxidative degradation of all these copolymers were studied in presence of two different catalysts namely Degussa P-25 and combustion synthesized titania using azobis-iso-butyronitrile and benzoyl peroxide as oxidizers. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) was used to determine the molecular weight distribution of the samples as a function of time. The GPC chromatogram indicated that the photocatalytic oxidative degradation of all these copolymers proceeds by both random and chain end scission. Continuous distribution kinetics was used to develop a model for photocatalytic oxidative degradation considering both random and specific end scission. The degradation rate coefficients were determined by fitting the experimental data with the model. The degradation rate coefficients of the copolymers decreased with increase in the percentage of alkyl acrylate in the copolymer. This indicates that the photocatalytic oxidative stability of the copolymers increased with increasing percentage of alkyl acrylate. From the degradation rate coefficients, it was observed that the photocatalytic oxidative stability follows the order PMMABA > PMMAEA > PMMAMA. The thermal degradation of the copolymers was studied by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The normalized weight loss and differential fractional weight loss profiles indicated that the thermal stability of the copolymer increases with an increase in the percentage of alkyl acrylate and the thermal stability of poly(methyl methacrylate-co-alkyl acrylate)s follows the order PMMAMA > PMMAEA > PMMABA. The observed contrast in the order of photostability and thermal stability of the copolymers was attributed to different mechanisms involved for the scission of polymer chain and formation of different products in both the processes. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polymer Degradation and Stability

Photooxidative and pyrolytic degradation of methyl methacrylate-alkyl acrylate copolymers

The influence of the alkyl group substituents on the ultrasonic degradation of poly (alkyl methacrylate)s, namely poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly (ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) and poly (butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) was studied. The rate coefficient increased with an increase in the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group: thus the order of degradation was PBMA > PEMA > PMMA. This was attributed to the scission of the main chain, which increases with the length of the side chain. The ultrasonic degradation of PBMA was investigated in various solvents, at different temperatures and at different ultrasound intensities. The degradation rate coefficients increased logarithmically with the decrease in vapor pressure and increased linearly with an increase in viscosity of the solvent and ultrasound intensity. The effect of three different initiators, benzoyl peroxide (BPO), dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and azo-bisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) on the ultrasonic degradation of PBMA was also studied. The degradation of the polymer decreased in the presence of the initiator. A continuous distribution model was developed for the radical mechanism involved in degradation and was used to determine the degradation rate coefficients of PBMA in presence of initiator. The model indicated that the degradation rate coefficient of the interaction of the PBMA radical with the initiator is independent of the dissociation constant of the initiator. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fulltext

Ultrasonics Sonochemistry

Kinetics of the ultrasonic degradation of poly (alkyl methacrylates)

Controlling the interface between Bitumen-froth and Middlings in separation cells in the oil sands industry is important for economical and environmental reasons. Traditional sensors do not provide reliable measurements of this interface level and image based sensors are being used to alleviate this problem. Previous work in this area has focussed on separation cells with a single side-view glass. The current work describes a new image based algorithm for interface level detection and confidence estimation based on the concept of image differencing. The algorithm can be extended in a straight-forward manner to separation cells with arbitrary number of side-view glasses. Off-line and on-line results show that the algorithm accurately detects the interface level in normal process conditions and outputs correct confidence values in other situations with very low false positive and negative rates.

IFAC Proceedings Volumes (IFAC-PapersOnline)

A novel image based algorithm for interface level detection in a separation cell

Orthorhombic perovskite type LnVO3 and Ln1-xTVO 3 (Ln = Ce, Pr, and Nd) have been synthesized by the solid state method. The structures of these compounds have been unequivocally established based on high resolution powder X-ray diffraction data using Rietveld refinement methodology followed by difference Fourier analysis. It is shown that substitution of Ti occurs at the vanadium site and not at the cerium site. The compounds have been tested for photocatalytic degradation of various dyes and substituted phenols. It is observed that doping of Ti remarkably improves the photodegradation efficiency of these orthorhombic perovskites. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

Synthesis, structure, and photocatalytic activity in orthorhombic perovskites LnVO3 and Ln1-xTixVO3 (Ln = Ce, Pr, and Nd

The catalytic activity of noble metal ion substituted in reducible oxide is much higher than the corresponding metal particles supported on oxides. We have studied Pt, Pd, Rh, and Cu metal ions substituted in CeO 2, TiO 2, and Ce1-xTixO 2. Pd ion substituted oxides are the best three-way catalysts for automotive exhaust applications. Noble metal ions in a number of new oxide supports such as Ce1-xAxO 2 (A ) Ti, Zr, Hf, Th,) can be developed. Substitution of first row transition metal ions in CeO 2 are amenable to redox coupling between M(3d) and Ce(4f). There are a number of other reducible oxide supports such as SnO 2 or V 2O 5. Redox properties of noble metal ions in first row transition metal oxides are not yet explored. Understanding the redox behavior of reducible metal oxides doped with more easily reducible noble metal ions would be a worthwhile area to pursue in catalysis combined with solid-state chemistry. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

Accounts of Chemical Research

Noble metal ionic catalysts

A titania-based mixed-oxide support containing 90 wt% TiO2, 90Ti-W, and several supported vanadium oxide (vanadia) catalysts, xV90Ti-W (x = 1-12.5 wt% vanadia), were synthesized and characterized. The anatase phase in the 90Ti-W support remained unaffected up to 1073 K. The presence of vanadia, however, leads to an appearance of the rutile phase and a decrease in the catalyst surface area. The xV90Ti-W catalysts possess surface vanadium and tungsten oxide dispersed species at moderate calcination temperatures. At high vanadia loadings, some interaction between the surface vanadium and tungsten oxide species may exist though bulk supported oxides were not detected. During ethane and propane adsorption, at relatively low adsorption temperatures, acetaldehyde and acetone species were observed, which then oxidized to other adsorbed oxygenated species at higher temperatures. Propane oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) reaction studies revealed that the propene yield measured at the same conversion increased with increasing loading up to 10 wt% vanadia and then decreased. Analysis of the kinetic parameters showed that the rate constant ratio of propene formation to propene combustion, k1/k2, which represents the propene yield at the same conversion, also increased with vanadia loading. The 10V90Ti-W catalyst was the best amongst this series of catalysts for the propane ODH reaction in terms of activity and propene yield. © 2009.

Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical

Adsorption and ODH reaction of alkane on sol-gel synthesized TiO2-WO3 supported vanadium oxide catalysts: In situ DRIFT and structure-reactivity study

Carbon xerogel microspheres were synthesized by inverse emulsion polymerization of resorcinol with formaldehyde, followed by pyrolysis at 900 °C under nitrogen atmosphere. We have studied the effect of various synthesis parameters, including dilution ratio and hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of nonionic surfactants, on the size and morphology of resulting structures. The average particle size of carbon microspheres could be modulated from 1 to 28 μm by varying the dilution ratio over 3 orders of magnitude. Increase in the HLB value and the amount of surfactants produced a variety of dense carbon, but open-architecture fractallike structures. Three different methods of stirring, namely, magnetic, mechanical, and ultrasonication were applied during the inverse emulsification to produce carbon xerogel microstructures. Formation of a wide spectrum of nonporous carbon particle morphologies, including the highly branched, hierarchical microparticles, by tuning the synthesis conditions may have potential applications in printing technology, controlled drug delivery, biosensors, and carbon-based microelectromechanical systems (C-MEMS) including bio-MEMS. © 2009 American Chemical Society.