PROJECTS

Year
2011-23

Information
The process developed by IMRC pertains to rapid curing of resinoid grinding wheels. In this process, as pressed (green) grinding wheels are placed in an sample holders and exposed to microwaves at 2.45 GHz for rapid curing (within 2h). So cured grinding wheels exhibits similar or better properties. The sample holders used in this process, performs multiple functions viz. absorbs microwave effectively and heat the grinding wheels volumetrically & rapidly, thereby saving time and energy.

Patent
Granted in
US: US9873185,
28th January, 2018
Japan: JP6407149,
28th Sept, 2018
China: CN 104661795 B,
9th April, 2019
India: 307720, 20 Feb, 2019

Ready for scale up

Year
2006-15

Information
The invention discloses a continuous process for rapid baking of friction pads used in brake lining using microwaves. This process shortens baking cycle of conventionally cured friction pads without compromising its friction properties. Thereby saving time and energy and makes the process economical.

Patent
Granted in
India: 433437,
31st May, 2023

Ready for scale up

Year
2011-15

Information
By using microwave processing, the excess moisture can be removed and controlled to the desired levels at lower temperatures.

Advantages are:

• Controlled selective drying without reduction in volatile matters
• The process improves grindability by changing Hardgrove index.
• The microwave treatment makes favourable alterations in ash characteristics.

Ready for scale up

Year
2007-2015

Information
This novel process is developed for refineries for processing heavy Petro-bottom stocks like HVGO/VGO. The so developed process comprises of exposing HVGO to magnetic field and then to electromagnetic radiations under controlled conditions.

Advantages are:

• Makes it possible to operate hydrocracking at much less severe conditions of temperature & pressure. This saves energy and enhances the life of catalyst thereby increasing the throughput.
• The process also would improve yield of distillates by 1-2% with better fuel properties.
• Reduces % sulphur in the product.

Patent
Granted in
India : 277603,
25th Nov, 2016

Ready for scale up

Year
2018 – on going

Information
Food grains are prone to contamination when they are stored for a long time and damaged by insects. Conventionally, harmful chemical treatment is used for this application and most of the fumigants are now banned internationally. Microwave treatment is a safe treatment as it selectively kill insects in their all stages of life cycle by exposing grains under MW field few seconds. MW treatment also increases the shelf life of commodities by more than one year or beyond.

Advantages are:

• 100% insect mortality
• Adopts non-chemical management strategy
• Lower exposure time (max. of 70 sec)
• No alteration in cooking properties
• MW treatment can be adopted at any stage of grain
  storage
• This process was developed with close association of ICAR-CIPHET, Ludhiana.

Ready for scale up

Year
2006-09

Information
Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) uses ceramic plates as an electrode. These are made from zirconia-based materials. The dimensions of these plates are 100 (l) x100 (h) mm with thickness 2 mm. These plates are formed by using Doctor’s blade technology where large amount of binders are used. Therefore, just for binder removal conventionally the program set in electric furnace takes about 16 h to reach 1000ºC, while sintering cycle needs about 20 h to reach 1250ºC-1300ºC.
By using microwave technology, the binder burnout time could be brought down to 6 h and sintering time to 5 h due to uniform and volumetric heating of the plate.

Ready for scale up

Year
2006-10

Sintering of SS316 components:
An attempt was made to make SS gland using a combination of powder metallurgy with microwave sintering. The green pressed components made from SS316 powder were microwave sintered at around 1250ºC-1350ºC in 3 h to get a neat shape component to the size.
Sintering of refractory metals (tungsten):
Milled & partially calcined cylinders made from pure tungsten powder were sintered @ 1800ºC in 4 h, under 5% H₂ + 95% N₂ atmosphere. Sintered density achieved was 93% of the theoretical tungsten. This activity was for defense.

Ready for scale up

Year
2006 ongoing

Information
With an aim to preserve the environment by increasing utilization of iron ore fines (which are not utilized by manufacturers) and coal fines in pig iron making. Apart from this, another important aim was to eliminate use of coke and reduce Greenhouse gas emissions considerably. With these aims, IMRC developed a microwave assisted process for sponge iron making without using coal as a reductant.  The patent was granted for this process in India. This process was then further extended to produce pig iron with minimum amount or even without coal.
After successful laboratory scale process developments, a prototype plant was established with Chubu University, Japan. For establishing this plant, PML received a partial funding from Ministry of Steel under SDF scheme.
The process offers number of advantages over conventional BF route for making pig iron. These are:

• Low carbon consumption (200 kg/THM) indicating high degree of Direct Reduction (>80%).
• Powdery raw materials used.
• Coal used just sufficient for the reduction of iron oxides (~15-18%).
• No Coke.
• About 50% reduction in GHG emissions.
• Very fast rates of reaction, leading to high productivity.
• Low level of P & S which is favorable for steel making.
• Easier recovery of furnace from a cold condition.
• Can use any type of iron bearing starting materials (hematite, magnetite, goethite, etc.)

PML is planning to scale up to about 1-2T/day. For which, PML is looking for ‘Coalition partner’ to take this novel technology to semi/commercial scale. This is because under present prevailing situation, Steel industry is facing a crucial challenge of decarbonization of the steel making process. To help them in this endeavor, PML-IMRC has already taken first step by developing a pig iron making process with low or no coal using microwave technology. The technology can be quickly and easily adopted by steel industry.

Patent

Sponge iron patent granted in India, patent no. 309420
19th March 2019

Composite furnace patent granted:
Ukraine no. 119264,
27th May, 2019
Russia no.2705701,
11th November, 2019
Japan JP2016-539843
1st July, 2020
Australia no. 2015300579,
25th March, 2021
India no. 471191,
21st November, 2023

Ready for scale up

Year
2023 – Ongoing

Information
The direct reduction of iron ore to pig iron using microwave technology is being now extended for converting in-house generated metallic waste materials like forging scales, heat treatment scales, shot blasting powders, etc. to value-added low alloy steel. The advantage of using microwave technology for processing scales is, most of the alloying metals like Ni, Cr, Mo, Mn are retained in molten pig iron, adding value to the conventional pig iron. The metal obtained shows composition equivalent to ‘Abrasion Resistant Steel’ Grade IS4771:1985.  This technology will improve the ‘Circular Economy’ of PML by converting waste material to value added product.

Ready for scale up