IIT-K renovates petro refining techniques

The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK) has come up with new techniques to revamp the obsolete and inefficient methods used in the petroleum refining industry.

The chemical engineering department of the institute has developed innovative solutions to counter the problems of crude oil s shortage, high input costs and low efficiency troubling the industry.

The department has discovered a method to convert plastic polymers like polyethene into petrol. The breakthrough is expected to pave way for new polymer source of for extracting fuel oils like petrol and diesel.

Chemical engineering department professor Deepak Kunjru says, “The fossil fuels are set for extinction in next 3-4 decades and the need for alternative fuel sources is set to spike. The proposed technology, once adopted on commercial scale will prove to be the way out of the impending crisis.”

The institute has also developed a technique to extract petroleum from the waste residue called ‘tarcoal’ which is currently disposed off in the end of refining process.

“Around 30-40 per cent of the crude oil is rendered waste as residual ‘tarcoal’ in the present processing technique,” says Kunjru. He further adds that the discovery of the new catalysts to obtain petrol from polymers will ensure the maximum production efficiency in the refining process.

Another chemical engineering professor, Nitin Kayastha has also successfully developed new equipment which is smaller in size and has better efficiency.

The commercial application of the new technology is however, being tested by leading companies like Chevron and Hindustan Petroleum. The institute director, Proff. Dhande said that it may be about two more years before the technology is used on a commercial scale.

The evaluation of reduction in cost and energy consumption and increasing the process efficiency is being done by HPCL. The Chevron director, Jeet Singh Bindra, who is also an IITK alumnus, has allocated funds of $125,000 to the chemical department for the research and renovation purposes in refining technologies.

The company has also signed an agreement with the institute under which it will provide qualified teachers to the institute and the students will get placed with the company.

The institute is also patenting some of its discoveries in partnership with the private companies. The Companies are testing the new technologies in their refinery plants. The chemical department of the institute is also working on a project to reduce the cost of solar panel.

The institute director, Proff Dhande told that the project had been initiated three years back and some other oil companies are also scouting for cheaper alternatives for crude oil processing.