IndianOil R&D has won two national Awards for technology innovation. Its innovative REACH-compliant novel internal donors-based Ziegler–Natta Catalysts for producing phthalate-free polypropylene was adjudged the winner of the fourth National Award for Technology Innovation in Petrochemical & Downstream Plastics Processing Industry in the category of Innovation in Green Polymeric Materials & Products.
The Award was presented by the Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers, Mr. Ananth Kumar, to Dr. RK Malhotra, former Chairman & Director (R&D) and Dr. GS Kapur, DGM (Petrochemicals), IndianOil R&D, in the presence of Mr. Nihal Chand, Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers, and the who’s who of the Indian plastics industry at a glittering function held in New Delhi on July 17.
In addition, the solar LED light designed & developed by IndianOil R&D was presented the Runners-up Award in the category of Innovations in Polymer Product by Mr. Ananth Kumar to Dr. Malhotra and Mr. Umish Srivastava, CRM (Alternate Energy – Solar), IndianOil R&D, in the presence of Mr. Nihal Chand.
Instituted by the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, these National Awards are conferred for technology innovation in the fields of polymeric material, polymeric products, polymer processing machinery & equipment, polymer waste management & recycling technology, green polymeric materials & products, polymers in agriculture and water conservation, polymers in public health care and research in the field of polymer science & technology. The Award consists of a shield, a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakhs to the winners.
With innovation as one of the core corporate values, IndianOil has done path-breaking research and has become the first Indian company to develop novel REACH-compliant internal donors, based on 1,2-pheneylene dioates (Indian Patent 2040/MUM/2012 and PCT published WO 2014/013401 A1).
The IndianOil team of inventors includes Dr. Bhaskar Bantu, Dr. Sukhdeep Kaur, Dr. KK Naresh, all Senior Research Officers, Dr. Gurmeet Singh, DMR, Dr. Kapur, Dr. Shashikant, former GM (PC) and Scientists Emeritus, Dr. B. Basu, former ED (LT), and Dr. Malhotra.
REACH is an EU regulation on registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals. Enforced on June 1, 2007, it streamlines the former legislative framework on chemicals of the European Union (EU). It addresses the production and use of chemical substances and their potential impact on both human health and the environment.
The second Award recognises innovation achieved by IndianOil R&D in designing the solar LED light with respect to use of polymeric materials of construction as well as multi-purpose use of the product as a lamp, lantern, mobile charger, bulb and torch.