Page 49 - Scientech 2016-17

partnership with M/s Kayakalpa Remedies Company (NALCO) to recover gallium from
(Bhopal). We have also developed simple the process streams of aluminum industry.
and effective methodologies for removal of It is well known that gallium is an important
arsenic and iron from potable water. All element widely used in electronic, opto-
these simple technologies achieve three electronic and lighting industry. We have
things simultaneously: providing clean further developed technologies for ultra-
water, creation of local entrepreneurs and purification of commercial gallium to
employment, and economic progress. electronic purity grade and for production
of trimethyl gallium which is a precursor for
Waste water treatment is a major issue that production of gallium arsenide or gallium
has come to focus in recent times. With more nitride. Thus the R&D collaboration with
than 50% of India facing high to extremely NALCO will complete the entire supply chain
high water stress, it is important to develop of gallium from production to device making
low cost technologies, which can treat waste all with indigenous technologies. Another
water and permit its recycling/reuse. In interesting example is our collaboration
the first stage, we have concentrated on with M/s Hare Krishna Diamond Exports,
the treatment of domestic and municipal Surat in the field of utilization of diamond
waste water. The technology choice here waste. Mention may also be made to our
is dictated by simplicity, efficiency, cost work involving the lithium ion battery; the
effectiveness and adaptability to Indian material technology has been transferred to
conditions; for example, the technology M/s Utopia Automation & Control, Satara.
must have a foot print as small as possible
and it can be set up at any scale to cater to Recently the concept of sustainability has
a house hold or to a township. Conventional become a central theme of our developmental
activated sludge process is the standard for strategies. Sustainable development is
waste water treatment widely used in India; development that meets the needs of the
however the technology suffers from several
disadvantages. We have adapted aerobic
granular biomass technology, which is
advancement over the conventional process
and provides several advantages such as (a)
cost effectiveness due to compact design,
small foot print, lower capital, operational
and maintenance costs and lower energy
consumption (b) ease of operation, (c)
sustainability due to high effluent quality,
efficient nutrient removal and low carbon
footprint and (d) scalability, i.e., 500 L (for
one household), 10,000 L (for a building)
and 1 ML (for a locality). This development
provides an opportunity of developing local
entrepreneurs while conserving water and
contributing to the Clean India mission.

India also needs R&D programmes to
help industry and thereby make them
competitive in the international trade. A
concerted effort is required today to close
all supply chains of industries and new
knowledge to this end needs to come from
research laboratories. We have established
collaboration with National Aluminum

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