Conferred to Prof. Bhagwat and institutional partners
For a partnership with a significant contribution from Prof. Sunil. S. Bhagwat (Director of IISER Pune and Professor in Chemistry), the Indian Chemical Council conferred the ICC - K.V. Mariwala Award for Effective Chemical Industry-Academia Partnership jointly to Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd. and the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT Mumbai). The award was conferred upon them during the 2022 ICC Awards event held on September 15, 2023, in Mumbai.
Prof. Sunil S. Bhagwat, who previously held a position at the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, joined as the Director of IISER Pune in April 2023.
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The citation awarded to Prof. Sunil Bhagwat included a shield along with a description of the project and his contribution. The citation said that under the guidance of Prof. S.S. Bhagwat, Balmer Lawrie devised a strategy that involved linking the reactors in series. This novel approach led to a remarkable increase in SO2 utilization, raising it from 45% to 70% within the sulphochlorination reaction. The citation indicated that besides reduction in SO2 consumption, it resulted in less wastage of alkali, less salt generation and saved energy cost for salt drying.
An excerpt from the citation commends the partnership as follows:
During his tenure as a member of the Department of Chemical Engineering at ICT (Mumbai), Prof. S.S. Bhagwat collaborated closely with Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd. from 2008 to 2019. This partnership, which spanned more than a decade, was characterized by an impactful engagement in various domains, including research and development, process design, and technological advancements. The collaboration led to notable achievements, particularly in the realms of R&D, pilot plant implementation and the subsequent successful upscaling to commercial production. The remarkable transition from innovation to effective commercialization stands as a testament to the commendable efforts undertaken by both entities.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Prof. Sunil Bhagwat for his enduring and fruitful partnership with the industry, as well as for this well-deserved recognition of his exceptional work.
