Dr. Anand B. Halgeri was born in Bagalkot, North Karnataka on 10th March 1945. He received his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Chemistry from Karnataka University, Dharwar and Ph.D. degree in Physical Chemistry (Heterogeneous Catalysis) from Bangalore University, Bangalore in 1973. He carried out Post-Doctoral work under UNESCO fellowship on Zeolite Catalysis as applied to Chemical Technology with Prof. Y. Ono at Chemical Engineering Department of Tokyo Institute of Technology during 1973-75.
On returning back to India, he joined in a newly established Research Centre of Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd (IPCL), Baroda – Gujarat in 1976. He was involved in the development and commercialization of Zeolite based catalyst for Xylene Isomerisation process in 1985, the first petrochemical catalyst developed in India. He was also associated in the development and manufacture of several petrochemical catalysts from concept to commercialization. He has provided leadership for the development of reforming catalysts for Gasoline & BTX production, paraffin-dehydrogenation catalysts for Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) production (Raw material for soap manufacture), catalysts for purification of Hydrocarbons in PET plant, development of hydrogenation/dehydrogenation catalysts for petrochemical industry. All the above indigenously developed catalysts helped to put India in the world map of petrochemicals.
He has extensively worked on Alkylation of Aromatics using modified Zeolites as Eco-friendly catalysts. He has developed Zeolite based catalyst for Alkylation of Toluene to produce selectively para-Xylene which is raw material for polyester industry and transferred for the first time to advanced country to M/s. GTC Technology Inc. USA. Subsequently, super selective pore size engineered modified Zeolite catalyst has been successfully developed and commercialized for the manufacture of speciality chemical para-diethyl benzene (PDEB) of 10,000 MTS capacity plant at Reliance Petrochemicals Industry at Surat, Gujarat. After the merger of Indian Petrochemical Corporation Ltd (IPCL) with Reliance Industry Ltd, he had provided sustained leadership as Vice President and Head of R&D, Baroda, led a team of 150 Scientists/Engineers and coordinated the entire research and development activities for Petrochemical/Refinery catalysts, Polymer Science and Technology, Materials Science and Applied Biology groups for all Reliance Industries at different locations. He also worked as Senior Scientific Advisor at Reliance Research & Technology Centre at Navi-Mumbai.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution in the area of heterogeneous catalysis for three decades, he has received several National awards and Honors for his achievements in Chemical Technology.
He has been advisory member of several professional bodies, Department of Science & Technology, CSIR, IOCL (R&D) and Reliance Industry. He has traveled widely and presented several invited lectures in both National and International symposia.
He has published over 105 Research papers in peer reviewed national and international journals and has obtained 35 Indian/International patents. He has been life member of many scientific and professional bodies both in India and abroad.
He is currently working as Director of Poornaprajna Institute of Scientific Research and coordinating the entire research activity in Theoretical Science in Physics, Mathematics, and also expanding to new areas Materials science & Biological sciences. His area of interest includes Nano catalysis, Heterogeneous catalysis, mesoporous materials, novel Zeolites, Solid Acid Catalysts, Industrial Refinery/petrochemical processes, adsorption, Eco-friendly processes, and Biodiesel/Biofuel, alternate energy feed stocks etc.
last updated: 7 Jan, 2011