Tag: Materials

IIT Kharagpur develops cutting-edge technology to reduce Red Mud by Alumina refining

IIT Kharagpur and Vedanta Aluminium have developed a process to significantly reduce the generation of bauxite residue, commonly known as red mud, in the alumina refining process. The patented process reduces bauxite residue by a remarkable 30 per cent by eliminating iron values while simultaneously recovering a higher alumina yield, reducing the total organic content of bauxite during the alumina refining. The process significantly enhances resource efficiency and curbs energy consumption during refining. The project was led by the Research and Development Department of Vedanta, the country’s leading aluminium producer, in collaboration with the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Kharagpur.

Red Mud is produced as a result of the bauxite-to-alumina processing through the Bayer process. The production of every 1 tonne of aluminium results in the generation of 3.3 tonnes of red mud, the sustainable management of which has been a long-standing challenge for the industry. Vedanta Aluminium is actively engaged in various initiatives aimed at minimizing bauxite residue, while also exploring avenues to extract value from the same. The company’s newly developed process represents a significant and revolutionary advancement in tackling the challenges associated with the utilization of red mud in the future. The pioneering development has undergone successful validation in laboratory settings and has completed the patent process. Currently, the company is forced to establish a pilot plant to implement and access the process, along with determining the potential advantages.

“The reduction of bauxite residue has been one of the key challenges for the aluminium industry, requiring significant technological advancements. The process, developed through the collaborative efforts, will not only significantly improve bauxite residue management but also contribute to reducing the carbon footprint in the process,” said Prof. Chenna Rao Borra, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering of IIT Kharagpur.

Bauxite is the primary ore for aluminium, and it undergoes an intermediate refining stage, known as the Bayer process, to produce alumina which is then subjected to electrolysis to produce aluminium. This refining process generates bauxite residue as a by-product. To produce 1 kg of aluminium, it requires 2 kg of alumina, which consumes 6 kg of bauxite, leaving behind 4 kg of bauxite residue. Managing this voluminous by-product sustainably has been a long-standing industry challenge.

“We look forward to implementing our groundbreaking process in bauxite residue management in our refinery operations. This is a significant milestone that will offer a pathway to enhanced resource efficiency and energy conservation and contribute towards reshaping the global aluminium industry,” said Amit Chatterjee, Chief Research and Development Officer, Aluminium Business, Vedanta Ltd.

Vendanta Aluminium, the largest aluminium producer in India, has announced developing process to reduce generation of bauxite residue, commonly known as red mud by a remarkable 30%by eliminating iron values while simultaneously recovering higher alumina yield from bauxite during the alumina refining. The process significantly enhances resources efficiency and curbs energy consumption during refining. The research project was led by the company’s Research & Development (R&D) department in collaboration with the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Kharagpur with support of a financial grant from Lanjigarh. Odisha Unit, home to Vedanta’s world-class alumina refinery. The cutting-edge technology will not only enhance the operational excellence of the company, but will also have a sustainable impact on the global aluminium industry.

Media Coverage:

PTI

The Week

Inputs by: Prof. Chenna Rao Borra, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Kharagpur
Email: chenna.borra@metal.iitkgp.ac.in

Edited By : Poulami Mondal, Digital & Creative Media Executive (Creative Writer)
Email: poulami.mondal@iitkgp.ac.in, media@iitkgp.ac.in, Ph. No.: +91-3222-282007

Follow us on: Facebook – IIT Kharagpur; Twitter – @IITKgp;  Instagram – @iit.kgp; LinkedIn – Indian Institute of Technology
For news visit: https://kgpchronicle.iitkgp.ac.in/

New Course with Jindal Stainless

New elective course to commence from July this year as part of PG & UG curriculum

Business World     APN News   Business Standard  The Week    Asian Age   Economic Times   Jagran Josh   Deccan Chronicle  Steelguru  Swarajya   Indian Express

IIT Kharagpur and Jindal Stainless have tied-up to introduce a 3-credit course on stainless steel and advanced ferrous alloys as a part of the premier Institute’s undergraduate and post-graduate curriculum for Metallurgical and Materials Engineering.

The course shall comprise the study of stainless steel and the uniqueness of its various grades, behavioral and forming characteristics, determination of life-cycle cost, and an understanding of the entire gamut of applications; along with the study of advanced ferrous alloys.

The course shall commence as an elective from the autumn semester of the institute (July-November 2019), with an expected initial batch of around 50-60 students.

Head, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and School of Nano-Science and Technology, IIT Kharagpur, Dr. Rahul Mitra said “We are pleased that the Senate at IIT Kharagpur has approved the introduction of this elective course. The curriculum shall focus on a detailed study of different aspects of stainless steel and ferrous alloys. We thank Jindal Stainless for their efforts and look forward to a healthy industry-academia relationship.”

Managing Director, Jindal Stainless, Mr. Abhyuday Jindal said, “Educating young and brilliant minds about the wonders of stainless steel is the first step to nurturing a generation of future-proof engineers. As pioneers of stainless steel in India, we are propelling this transformation through our country’s premier institutes. I am certain that with the support of IIT Kharagpur, this course will pave the way for cost-efficient and sustainable infrastructure and an efficient public transport system. Stainless steel, as an environmentally-stable green metal, will be the perfect tool for this initiative.”

Director, Jindal Stainless, Mr. S Bhattacharya added, “As a dynamic and green metal, stainless steel has the potential to re-imagine sustainability. In India, it is still at a nascent stage, with a per capita consumption of 2 kg, as compared to the global average of 6 kg. This void provides immense opportunities to tap stainless steel efficiently in architecture-building-construction, automobile-railway-transport, and process industries, among other industrial applications. I am certain that with IIT Kharagpur’s expertise, we will be able to drive awareness among the future Indian engineers and architects.”

The course curriculum will also expose students to stainless steel fabrication through plant visits to the manufacturing units of Jindal Stainless in Hisar and Pathredi in Haryana. According to the new curriculum, the duration of this 3-credit elective course will be 4 months, with 3 lectures per week. Given that stainless steel is one of the fastest growing metals globally, this course shall open new professional avenues for graduating students.

Kgpian Receives NATO Award

Business Standard      India Today      Outlook      Zee News      Odisha Sun Times      Patrika       Swarajya       Devdiscourse

IIT KGP alumnus Dr. Prakash Patnaik has been conferred with the prestigious NATO Science & Technology Organization (STO)’s Panel Excellence Award. Dr. Patnaik is a globally recognized scientist in the domain of Aerospace Materials Science and Engineering. Much of this work, in the last 30 years, has been performed in a collaborative global milieu, including governments, industries and academic organizations. He has been awarded in recognition and appreciation for his longstanding service and extraordinary scientific contribution rendered to NATO-STO’s Applied Vehicle Technology Panel.

Dr. Patnaik hails from Berhampur, Odisha. He earned his B.E. in Materials Science & Engineering from NIT Rourkela and M.Tech. in 1978 from the Dept. of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering at IIT Kharagpur. He pursued his doctoral degree from McMaster University, Canada.

At present, Dr. Patnaik is leading the Defence Technology and Sustainment Program at the National Research Council Canada (NRCC) as Principal Research Scientist at NRC’s Aerospace Research Centre in Ottawa, Canada. He joined NRC in 2002 as Chief of Aerospace Materials and in 2006 became Director of R&D at NRC. He is among the very few Indians to hold such a coveted post in the domain of science and technology in Canada.

Dr. Patnaik has made significant contributions in the domain of Aerospace Materials and Protective Coating Technologies including more than 140 research papers in international journals and conferences.

Chairman of the Applied Vehicle Technology Panel of the NATO-STO, as well as the Director of the NATO-STO’s Collaboration Support Office in Paris, cited the expertise of Dr. Patnaik in the field of high-temperature metal alloys and coatings used in gas turbine engines which has strengthened the core of Applied Vehicle Technology business of NATO-STO.

“The Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering feels proud to have nurtured a stalwart like Dr. Prakash Chandra Patnaik in his formative years as M. Tech student during 1976-78. Dr. Patnaik is well-recognized for his significant contributions to the development of high-temperature alloys and thermal barrier coatings, as well as to the scientific understanding of their hot corrosion behavior, which has been a thrust area of education and research in this department for several decades,” said Prof. Rahul Mitra, Head of the department.

The department has been delivering global stars such as Arun Sarin, the Former CEO, Vodafone; Srikumar Banerjee, Former Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission of India; Ravi Kant who is Former Vice chairman of Tata Motors, two former Directors of the IIT system, Prof. Indranil Manna and Prof. Madhusudan Chakraborty and of course Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google. Dr. Prakash Patnaik gives more reason to celebrate the dynamic education and mentorship offered by the department. The alumni could be working in core metallurgy and materials science, allied or other distinct fields, but what stands out is the innovations they make and their impact in the larger society.