This ChEA voice attempts to provide the Chemical Engineering students with a platform to express their prospective and convey the same to everyone. It does not intend to malign any group or individual. The opinions expressed belong essentially to the authors/content managers and do not reflect the opinions of ChEA.

-Vibhu Agarwal

ChEA Editor

Disclaimer

From HoD’s Desk

I have had a fruitful term as the head of the department of Chemical Engineering. It gave me an opportunity in the administration of our department, thereby, giving me a chance to interact with faculty, students and staff on various issues. I hope that I have been able to help the stakeholders with their issues and concerns.

The department has a rich legacy of innovation and creativity in teaching and research for the past 57 years, which is as old as the Institute. We have excellent faculty with a rich experience in research and teaching in the broad areas of chemical engineering. We are proud of our alumni who have excelled in the profession by being leaders, thereby contributing to industry and academia. Our department has evolved as a place for research and technology development in the key areas of health, energy, environment and materials. The research in the department is multi-disciplinary and contemporary including areas such as Biological Systems Engineering, Soft Matter Engineering, Process Systems Engineering, Catalysis and Reaction Engineering, Thermodynamics & Molecular Simulations and Energy, Environment & Sustainability, with a strong focus in the themes relating to healthcare, energy and materials. Being a favourite destination of top quality research students, the department has a very strong research program at both the masters as well as doctoral levels. The department currently has about 500 undergraduate students, 60 Masters, 230 doctoral students and about 20 post-doctoral research scientists. Over the last five years, the department has attracted significant funding from government sponsoring agencies as well as industrial R&D centers. These research programs are actively driven by PhD research scholars, and department research staff. The UG curriculum was changed when I took over as the head and the first batch will now graduate. I hope to receive feedback from the graduating class on the curriculum. The department is concerned about the number of students taking core jobs after graduation. Along with Prof. Sanjay Mahajani, we have initiated a course-on-wheels as an elective course for BTech students to get a first-hand experience and flavour of the chemical industry. We want to initiate group-based focused projects in the six core research areas in the department in the line of Bio-diesel plant. This will give students an opportunity to work in a group to achieve a specific end-goal.

I thank all the student representatives of the department with whom I have interacted on various platforms. They have contributed enthusiastically on all matters of academics and extra-curricular inputs. I am indebted for their support.

-KV Venkatesh

ChEA Voice

Voicing their opinion:

Snigdha Lal

Prof. Jyoti Seth

Arvind Menon

Prof. Sanjay Mahajani

Inside this issue:

Why should you

study abroad

2

Know your

Department

3

Know your Prof 4

In the same boat 5

AZeotropy 6

Course on Wheels 8

Why should you study abroad?

Page 2

ChEA Voice

National University of Singapore

“The world is a

book and those

who do not

travel read only

one page!”

Authored by Snigdha Lal, a fourth year undergraduate in our department, who went for a semester exchange programme to NUS in 2016

Frankly, I have as much idea as any of you. A little more maybe; something that stems from a singular experience of going for a semester exchange. The reason for this disclaimer is: borne out of little experience, my advice is best taken with a pinch of salt. Now that I am safe from future lawsuits of misguided directions, let’s get down to it.

The first and biggest reason for going abroad on an academic venture would be it exposes you to a very different environment. The difference between going abroad on a vacation and going there to study is, academics and school term forces you to interact with the locals in a way you probably wouldn’t need to on said vacation. For those of you who function best within the warm limits of your comfort zone this is a silver lining that comes with a dark cloud thrown in free of cost. Interacting with people from other nations while not difficult isn’t as easy as you might imagine. There is a cultural gap and that can often create a loss of common ground that first conversations thrive on. But on succeeding it leads to a widening of perspectives the likes of which I haven’t felt on any previous occasion. One thing that I realized is, for all our hue and cry about diversity, we Indians are of like mind and mannerism. As a result the ideologies and way of living of our brethren from beyond national borders can act as a metaphorical peek out the well of which we all are frogs. And that can be damn enriching if you are willing to be open to it.

The direct consequence of studying abroad is that you become acquainted with the educational system of that place. Depending on where you are, that can differ quite a lot from the Indian way. That often has many side effects. It just might be that that particular university teaches Chemical Engineering in a way that you are once again charmed by the subject. It just might be that you feel like driving your head through the wall. But personally, it is a risk worth taking. Any experience, good or bad, always leaves a lot to take away from.

Studying abroad, for however short the duration, often creates independence. Away from everything you have ever known and generally without the support of guardian authority, you must learn to fend for yourself whether that is doing laundry on time or managing your bank account. Another facet to this is, Indians are people who move around in groups. We rarely ever learn to be alone. If you end up in one of the western realms of humanity, your venture will no doubt teach you the pleasure of your own company; something that I believe is an excellent talent to have today.

Last but not the least, it will open to you travelling opportunities. Travelling is an amazing experience to have. It shows you sights you may never imagine existed, you meet all kinds of people from all walks of life. Really, no amount said on this subject can capture the essence of the experience. Some things need to be handled in practical. Let’s just drop it at it is something I believe every human must engage in.

In closing, going abroad for a semester or even a couple of months results in experiences worth maybe 2-3 years and memories of a lifetime. Experiences are the best teacher and if you are keen enough these experiences can quite literally change your life. I know it changed mine and it is an experience I wouldn’t give up for anything in the world.

P.S. I might have missed other by-products (pros/cons) of studying abroad and this is an entirely subjective topic.

In our department the broad areas in which continuous research is going on are:

1.Catalysis and Reaction Engineering

2.Biological Systems Engineering

3.Energy Environment and Climate

4.Thermodynamics and Molecular Simulations

5.Soft Matter

6.Process Systems Engineering

The Chemical Council welcomes the new professors in our department:

Prof MO Garg:

Before joining IIT Bombay, he retired as Director of Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun. He was also the Director General of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR).

His main research areas are:

Solvent Extraction

Prof Swati Bhattacharya:

Before joining IITB, she was working as Assistant Professor in IIT Guwahati since 2012.

Her main research areas are:

Soft Condensed Matter Theory and Simulation, Computational Biophysics, Bio-Nano Interfaces

Prof Sujit Jogwar:

Before joining IITB, he has served as DST INSPIRE Assistant Professor at Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai since 2013.

His main research areas are:

Advanced process control, Process integration, Process intensification, Batch scheduling, Graph theory, Developing design, scheduling and advanced control tools for sustainable processes, economically attractive (energy) integrated processes

Know Your Department

Jan 2017

“WELCOME TO

CHEMICAL

DEPARTMENT”

Page 3

Is it a good idea for students to take up a job and then do MS/PhD?

In a general, yes, but it also depends on the student’s interest. If one is even remotely inclined towards engineering career, then a job provides you with an exposure that you may not get if you directly go for MS/PhD. It also gives you time to step back and evaluate your options and choose a career path. It is important because when you choose to do a PhD, you will stay with that for a significant period of time.

What do you like best about being a professor?

It’s a fun. For me, personally, it's nice because I start everyday with a lot of enthusiasm. The experience of teaching itself is very nice because of interaction with students. I like receiving questions in class, it makes me think. On research front, we brainstorm ideas, come up with designs, think of why something is not working or why it is! Such a professional life is fun.

How’d you compare the education system and research at UT Austin or US universities to that with IITB?

In terms of research, it is very different here, maybe because we are much more hands-on, things are not as easy and as streamlined here as abroad. So, it means that the same job will take longer. However, the sort of interaction we have here between faculty and students is much more than abroad. Otherwise, research areas are similar.

You joined industry after your PhD. You’ve been a part of both the industry and academia, how would you draw a comparison between them and what were the reasons for returning to academia?

I joined the industry after coming back to India. My first job was not in research but as a consultant. there I worked in chemical plants, did some marketing and sales and so on. It was a mixed bag. After a while, I started missing the joy of research, working in a lab, asking bigger questions. So I moved to Unilever R&D. It felt better because it was closer to research but when you are working in an industry you are working on problems that matter to the industry. These are solutions that will aid economics of the industry that you are working for. It is interesting, of course, but I missed the independence to be able to do whatever work that I want to do. Here, being closer to teaching also helps me to do more fundamental research. So this seemed like a good shift.

In a recent survey conducted by Insight, it was found that average CPI of chemical was in the bottom three. This strict grading pattern hampers our opportunities when we apply for Masters in foreign universities. What are your views about it?

I don’t completely agree with that because when you apply for a Masters or a PhD, you apply to the chemical engineering program. So, comparison of CPI of chemical engineers within IIT Bombay versus other departments cannot affect your chances.

They will look at an application from chemical engineering at IIT Bombay without comparing CPI with other streams in IIT Bombay. of course if there was data that CPI of chemical engineers in IIT Bombay is lower than CPI of chemical engineers, at let’s say, IIT Kanpur then, of course, there is a concern. either way, on your application, you mention that you have topped in a certain class, at IIT Bombay, which communicates your competence.

What is the advice you’d like to give to the undergraduates of the department?

I think undergrad is a time where you can explore. You are exposed to myriad and broad range of courses. The undergraduates of IIT are in a system where they are able to opt for courses at other departments, do a minor. I would strongly advise that this time be used to figure out where their passion lies. Take this opportunity to try things and build confidence in their choices.

Among the areas in which you are pursuing research which area do you like the most and why?

In my group we are looking at a number of different areas, some of fundamental and some of applied relevance. In one project we are making a nanomaterial that may be used for gas membrane separation, in battery applications. We are developing a technique by which different combinations of polymers can be associated together at the nanoscale.

Know Your Prof

Page 4

ChEA Voice

Prof. Jyoti Seth

Quick Question:

Friction factor for

fluid flow in pipe does

not depend on the:

1. Pipe Length

2. Pipe Roughness

3. Fluid Density

4. Mass flow rate

How do we bridge the gap between students and faculty?

One can think of formal or informal settings where the faculty and students get together to either discuss science and other socially relevant topics. I see that a couple of undergraduate students simply walk in to have a casual chat. That's fantastic. With the number of undergraduate students, it is not possible for a faculty to go to each and every stu dent. But if you connect with a certain faculty, you may continue associating. I have had students coming over and discuss topics in science, certain articles. I enjoy it and I am sure other professors would also welcome it.

What are somethings you like about students of IIT Bombay?

In general, the students are very intelligent, smart and they take a lot of initiative which, I think, is a indication of successful education. Most of the students mature considerably in four years.

Chemical Engineering is

regarded as a field in which most of the big things have happened in 20th Century. What do you think can be the next breakthrough in the field?

I think it will have to be in the domain of climate change or in the domain of making our conventional processes more sustainable. It seems to be the driver for every industry. A huge level of funding that is being directed towards this. having said that it might just happen that someone somewhere comes up with an idea or technology that becomes a game changer.

What aspect of Chemical Engineering retained your interest in core?

A no. of things, of course, I started by choosing Chemical Engineering over other fields. in the 2nd or 3rd year, when topics of mass transfer, heat transfer and momentum transfer are introduced. Analogous nature of the three processes seemed cool and interesting. Later on, I kept delving more and more into fluid mechanics and momentum transfer which kept me glued to the field. Of

course, as chemical engineers, we do a combination of chemistry, physics, maths. The concepts we learn can be applied to many many fields. This generality gives one the confidence to explore other areas.

Core Talk is the annual Depar tment talk which takes place dur ing the fir st weekend of October. The speakers that deliver the talk have a great deal of experience in the industry.

They are distinguished alumni of the department who have expertise in their sector. This talk is a good opportunity for freshers to get a brief idea of Chemical Engineering, as they do not have a very clear perspective of the field.

This year we had Mr. Pradeep Jaipuria as the speaker for the Department Core Talks. He is a 1971 batch alumnus and has set many milestones in his life, exploring the Chemical Engineering Industry. He began his entrepreneurial venture by promoting Agro Extracts Limited in 1973, which is today the largest producer of neem in the country. He is currently Managing Director and Chairman of P.J. Margo Pvt. Ltd., a company founded by him in 1991.

This year’s talk was one of a kind, owing to the unique profile of the speaker, who went on describing what encouraged him to pursue entrepreneurship and the odds that he faced in establishing his company. It was followed by an interactive session.

In the same boat

Page 5

Jan 2017

Mr. Pradeep Jaipuria

“You cannot

create

experience.

You must

undergo it.”

AZeotropy, the annual convention of IIT Bombay’s Chemical Engineering department signifies the bond between the chemical industry and academia. It invokes the spirit of Chemical Engineering in young students from all corners of India and involves a blend of competitions, lectures, exhibitions, workshops and many fun learning events. This annual event attracts more than 200 colleges, and 50+ industrialists.

Started in 2007 as a small event with few lectures, it has snowballed into one of the largest symposiums of Chemical Engineering in India, attracting a footfall of close to 3000 students. Over the years the fest has witnessed momentous lectures from the likes of Prof. Rakesh Agrawal (Distinguished Professor, Purdue University), Dr. M.M. Sharma (Ex Director of Institute of Chemical Technology) and many more eminent personalities from diverse fields.

The eleventh anniversary of the festival will present many new spectacular events.

The 11th edition of AZeotropy will be held on 4th-5th March, 2017. Centered on the theme “Sustainable Development”, this edition aims at intimating the importance of Chemical Engineering in different aspects of life, mostly focussing on the optimal use of energy with chemical engineering and aims to reduce the losses and reuse the various forms of energy that go wasted.

A total of 10 competitions will be held at this 2 day event. The applied engineering contests like Chem-E-Car and Chem-E-Switch are the main attractions. The former involves engineering a car that can run purely on non-conventional chemical fuels while the latter involves development of a reaction vessel that breaks an electrical circuit after a given time. AZeotropy is also holding a theme based competition called “0-Urza” for chemical engineers. The fest also appreciates the classical chemical engineering aptitude and tries to gauge an award students for the same under its trademark contest Chem-O-Philia which is a national level quiz series aimed at attracting the best talents in the field. Its online analogue Q-viz-it offers the perks of industrial visit. An opportunity to display research work is undoubtedly an integral part of any symposium. AZeotropy provides just the platform to any aspiring great mind in the chemical engineering domain through its exhibition named Affiche, providing participants with an opportunity to present papers to leading industrialist and professors in the field. To help bridge the gap between industry and the academic institutes, AZeotropy holds a competition named IDP (Industrial Design Problem).

The symposium also has much more to offer besides these stellar competitions. Lectures by esteemed professors and industrialists will give students a once in a lifetime opportunity to interact with such eminent personalities. This was just a glimpse of a wide array of events stacked up for the ever hungry audience attending the symposium.

AZeotropy

Page 6

ChEA Voice

“AZeotropy- A festival of chemical

engineers, for chemical engineers,

by chemical engineers”

The symposium also has much more to offer besides these stellar competitions. Lectures by esteemed professors and industrialists will give students a once in a lifetime opportunity to interact with such eminent personalities. This was just a glimpse of a wide array of events stacked up for the ever hungry audience attending the symposium.

Sticking to its ultimate objective to endeavor higher standards of chemical engineering, AZeotropy also extends hands-on-experience on softwares like ASPEN Plus, ANSYS and CADworx through numerous workshops. Along with the numerous learning opportunities, informal events like Virtual Chemical Market, and model exhibitions on various technological advances will add to the aura of the fest.

Over the last 10 years AZeotropy has grown exponentially and maintained a strong dedicated audience. Thanks to a plethora of lectures by distinguished speakers, events and competitions, AZeotropy has indeed reached the pedestal where it influence and encourages many chemical engineering students all across the country. AZeotropy 2017, in its eleventh anniversary hopes to increase its influence to even greater heights. With overwhelming support from colossal sponsor like Alkyl Amines, HiKAL Ltd., BASF India, Mersen India, XPLOCC technologies, its unique pragmatic theme, and its dedicated workforce, it is sure to achieve greater milestones but to take it to unparalleled heights we need your support.

Page 7

Jan 2017

If you are interested in joining hands with us to create an unforgettable experience for us and everyone attending the symposium feel free to contact us. You will not only be getting invaluable insights into chemical industry, but you will also be learning skillsets essential in all aspects

of life like teamwork, leadership, handling pressure and communication. Please visit www.azeotropy.com for more details. Hope to see you very soon!

“Sustainable development is the masterful balance of meeting our own needs without jeopardizing future generations ability to do the same”

“An Overview of the Indian Chemical Industry”, better known as Course on Wheels, is an initiative taken up by the department to give students some exposure to various segments of chemical and allied industries. The plan was to visit particular industries from each of these sectors, observe the facilities, interact with the experts there and understand the various considerations involved.

Interest in the course was quite high among the student community, because it represented a form of learning different from what we had grown used to over the past few years. We saw a chance to gain a unique perspective into our subject of study and to take advice from people with a rich wealth of experience in the field. The 27 slots available for students on the course were filled fairly quickly.

We visited a diverse set of industries, including a coal power plant, oil refinery, petrochemical complex, fertilizer complex, oil fields, natural gas processing facility and speciality chemicals manufacturing. We also visited a fabrication facility where reactors, platforms and other equipment was built. In addition, we visited a facility responsible for the management and disposal of various types of waste from the surrounding chemical industries. Some respected industry experts were also invited to address and interact with the students on various topics related to the industry.

A typical plant visit day consisted of an early morning departure to the industry of the day, where we would be briefed by the officials on the plan for the visit. After several hours going over the fine details of the process and the equipment involved, we would have a concluding interaction with senior staff from the company where we could discuss all the factors involved in running a successful chemical industry. Upon returning to our accommodations, we would spend another few hours comparing notes and analysing what we had learnt over the day. Very often, we were given short quizzes to be completed on the bus journeys to test our understanding of the previous visits. There was also a team quiz competition based on trivia from our visits in which all the teams were pitted against each other. The final round of this competition was conducted on New Year’s eve, and was so riveting that we almost missed the moment 2016 passed.

The group consisted of students from the third, fourth and fifth years, allowing for a wide spread of experience and enthusiasm. The energy was high throughout, with the entire class displaying keen interest in all the processes and concepts being demonstrated. There was something in this course for everyone. The third years were given an invaluable peek into the practical applications of the concepts that will be taught to us in the coming semesters, which will definitely be an advantage both academically and professionally. The seniors were given a real-world perspective on concepts that they had already learnt. Even the professors and TAs were exposed to some cutting edge technology for the first time. Personally, as someone who finds lectures difficult to absorb effectively, my eyes were opened to the wide range of possibilities available to me as a chemical engineer and the applications of the skills I am learning in class. The interest I had in core fields that was fading over the past year has been sparked again.

No words are sufficient to describe the gratitude felt towards Prof. Sanjay Mahajani and his staff by the students of this course. His tireless efforts, along with that of Mr. Rohidas Bhoi, Ishan Sharma, Sudip Das and Sumith Kamal, have created what will hopefully become a long running course in the department syllabus. The experience was truly enriching and deserves a closer look into the scope for its expansion.

While discussing with Prof. Sanjay Mahajani he told us that a four to five years of planning, structuring and ideating had gone into finally starting the course that had been one of his visions for practical education of students in our department. According to him, the course went really well as planned. Though the schedule was hectic and packed, the students seemed to have enjoyed it a lot. In this semester, industry people will be coming and delivering lectures as part of the course as some of them could not deliver information during the visits due to time constraint.

The Chemical Department is grateful to Prof. Sanjay Mahajani and all the faculty members who helped in organising the much awaited course on wheels. The applications for the next round of course will be released by August 2017.

Authored by Arvind Menon, a third year student in our department, who registered for the course in it’s pilot run this semester

Course on Wheels

Page 8

ChEA Voice

Design Credits:

Ratanjot Singh

Benefits for industry: 1. The students may join the industry once they graduate 2. Industries get publicity through this 3. Make Chemical Engineering education practical