(81b) Particle Science and Technology Education and Research at IIT Madras: A Synergistic Approach

The ongoing particulate research and education effort in the Particle Science & Polymers (PSP) Laboratory in the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras may be described as having two main thrusts. The first focus area is "Mechanical Operations" which encompasses traditional technologies such as size reduction and size classification, and addresses applications such as: biomass fuel preparation, material recycling from electronic scrap, fly-ash classification and computer simulation of size reduction and classification processes of industrial importance. Existing equipment in the Mechanical Operations Laboratory are predominantly pilot-scale, and are used in support of Industrial Consultancy projects. There is an undergraduate laboratory course in this area, as well as a core classroom course on "Mechanical Operations" that dwells on principles behind processes such as crushing, grinding, sieving, filtration, etc. A postgraduate elective course on "Analysis, Simulation, and Optimization of Mineral Processes" is also offered as part of the curriculum. These courses and laboratory training are designed to provide necessary skills and knowledge to students to undertake relevant research work in this field.

Within the past two years, this area of expertise in IIT Madras has been supplemented with a new and emerging focus on the disciplines of nano-particle technology and science, and related applications in many high-technology industries. Research projects that have recently been initiated in the PSP Laboratory using Institute as well as private-industry funding include: (1) Construction of a Class 100 cleanroom facility, and an adjacent Class 10,000 facility, along with provisions for additional vertical laminar flow stations to achieve Class 10 cleanliness levels; these facilities are intended to be used for fundamental studies of particle generation, transport, deposition, adhesion to and removal from surfaces; (2) Use of an airborne particle counter for identifying, prioritizing and mitigating particle sources in precision assembly processes; (3) Investigation of high-frequency, high-intensity ultrasonic fields (using equipment donated by Crest Ultrasonics Corporation, New Jersey) in various applications such as: (i) Measurement of cavitation intensity (as distinct from acoustic pressure measured by hydrophones) by use of customized probes such as the ppb Cavitation Meter; (ii) Cavitation erosion of surfaces immersed in sonicated liquids, measured by weight loss (using a 0.01 mg resolution analytical balance under high-erosion conditions, and a 0.1 ?Ýg resolution Microbalance under low-erosion conditions) as well as by surface roughness monitoring (using a mechanical stylus, a laser-based profilometer or an Atomic Force Microscope, again based on severity of erosion); (iii) Generation and removal of particles from surfaces immersed in sonicated liquids, measured by a Precision Turbidimeter (with 0.01 NTU resolution); (iv) Sono-enhancement of mixing efficiency for liquids stored in large (up to 3 meters high) containers; (v) Sono-chemi-fluorescence as a "dosimeter" for cavitation intensity in liquids; (vi) Sono-chemical applications in biotechnology and leather processing, etc.; (4) Optimization of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process for surface polishing and cleanability; (5) Erosion mechanisms associated with solid particle impact in industrial equipment such as cyclones, pipelines, boiler tube-banks and burner tubes, etc; and (6) Fabrication of nano-composite materials (ceramic/plastic, ceramic/metal, ceramic/ceramic, etc.) in order to optimize functionality (improved corrosion/ erosion resistance, improved strength and conductivities, etc.). Representative results from these research initiatives will be provided in the oral presentation, and discussed in more detail during the Poster Session.

In support of these research programs, and with a view to providing students insight into fundamental and applied aspects of emerging particulate technologies, a series of elective courses (Particle Characterization, Applications of Particle Science in High Technology Industries, Nano-science and Nano-technology, Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication, etc.) are being offered to undergraduate and postgraduate students. The curricula have been developed to conform to web-based education requirements. An illustrative outline of a web-course will be presented here. In addition, students are provided links to current literature and trade news in associated areas so that they can keep abreast of latest developments in these rapidly-changing fields. A special Laboratory course is now being defined that will encourage students to get hands-on experience with particle quantification and qualitative-analysis instruments. In particular, they will be instructed in sizing, counting and imaging of particles in liquids, in gases and on surfaces. The classroom learning and laboratory exercises offered to students in this field will enable them to conduct necessary research with a high degree of expertise.

The arena of particle science and technology is vast, and requires a systematic, integrated, comprehensive program of education and research with many elements of interdisciplinary collaboration. This presentation will attempt to portray the efforts within the PSP Laboratory in the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras to achieve such a synergy between education and research, and between academia and industry.