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Circor launches customisable lube oil pumps

Chemical Industry Digest
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Circor launches customisable lube oil pumps

Circor recently launched the Allweiler SNA (TM) series of customisable three-screw lube oil pumps for diverse API 676/682 applications.

The Allweiler SNA series allows for customised setups in 12 different ways, there is a choice of foot or flange mounting schemes and it can quickly adjust inlet and outlet positions.

The Allweiler SNA serves as a plug-and-play solution for connecting to lube oil applications using screw connections with two different flanges for the inlet and one for the outlet instead of welded connections and intuitive pump feet.

The most common applications for Allweiler SNA series include compressors, turbines and large scale pumps, refineries (gas compressors, gear boxes) and power plants (oil cooling, emergency and bearing pumps).

The Allweiler SNA pump is available in a bare shaft version but also as an aggregate solution with baseplate, coupling, lantern and motor.

For more details contact:

CIRCOR
30 Corporate Drive, Suite 200
Burlington, MA 01803 , USA
Tel: +1 781-270-1200
Website: www.circor.com

How Skilled Workforce Shortage is Affecting the Growth and Productivity of Businesses Today

Jaydev V. Sanghavi
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How Skilled Workforce Shortage is Affecting the Growth and Productivity of Businesses Today

The rise of emerging technologies has brought about large-scale transformations in job roles and functions across businesses around the world. And, regardless of the industry, only a skilled workforce can produce quality work with effective outputs. However, the scenario remains that, for jobs that require highly skilled workers, there is a lack of people with the right skills for a particular role, and this gap will only increase in the near future if not addressed soon. A report by FICCI-NASSCOM & EY revealed that, out of India’s workforce of 600 million people, 9 percent will be engaged in jobs that don’t exist today, while 37 percent will be in jobs that require completely new skill sets.

Further, according to the recent skill gap analysis conducted by the government, an additional 109 million skilled workers will be needed across the 24 key sectors in the Indian economy by 2022. However, only a staggering 2.3 percent of the country’s workforce has undergone some kind of formal skills training. Given the extent of this problem, there is an urgent need for the industry, government and academia to focus on skill development for the upcoming and current workforce.

Shortage of skilled labour hampering productivity and output –
Several common problems arise as a result of shortage of skills amongst the workforce. These include compromised quality of products, slower/hampered production, more time needed for completion of tasks and limited scope for growth, leading to higher attrition.

Moreover, given the shortage of labour, those that are skilled come at a high cost which larger companies are able to shell-out. As a result, companies end up spending years and pay high costs to re-train new employees with right skill-sets to meet their requirements. However, this is something that poses major challenges, especially to SMEs, hampering their growth to a large extent. Thus, focusing on creating a larger pool of skilled workers will bring a truly positive transformation to the industrial landscape.

Industry-centric training and education for dynamic skill-sets –
Instead of producing talent that is short of skills even after years of education, targeting the skill-gaps before they enter the professional world will help bridge the issue to a large extent. Additionally, for existing employees, companies can introduce skill-intensive programs that are continuous in nature. For this, academia-industry partnerships backed by government policies are essential. It is this two-way street that will help one contribute to the other, thus creating a robust learning framework to address skill requirements at different levels.

For instance, with new technological advancements such as AI, machine learning (ML), data analytics, blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT), NASSCOM introduced its Future Skills digital platform which lists 10 technologies with the maximum potential for job creation in the ITeS sectors. The platform gives aspiring and current tech professionals the resources to develop their skills and has tied up with institutions such as IIT Madras to train students entering the IT sector in the same.

A major shift in focus that is required in education and training is that it should give practical learning greater importance than theory, as it is the practical aspect that will help the workforce cope with the dynamic needs of the industry. To achieve this, an apprenticeship or internship as part of the course will give them first-hand experience of the professional realm as well as the fundamental skills that are required. The added benefit of this is that it will facilitate continuous and focused mentorship from industry experts while helping the understudy effectively contribute to meaningful work.

Hence, with expert-guided support, candidates can work on various real-world projects independently, giving them the confidence to tackle different challenges by testing new skills. This, in turn, will lead to higher levels of retention of the skills and subject matter, which they can apply later in unfamiliar situations.

Additionally, businesses should create a growth plan for young employees who are entering the workforce. This will help them stay motivated and realise the scope for growth in the company, thus improving retention rates.

Emerging technologies: A sea of change for job roles today –
Especially during periods of change, people with the ability to adapt to new environments and requirements are most beneficial to businesses. They can channel their creativity to solve problems quickly, as well as adjust to new processes and produce quality work. With the Fourth Industrial Revolution in motion, the transformation is huge, and there is an even greater need to create such a pool of talent to harness the benefits.

“As per the WEF’s 2018 Future of Jobs report, while machines will take over 75 million basic jobs by 2025, 133 million more advanced jobs are likely to be created as a result of emerging technologies within the same time-frame. Thus we can see that with emerging technologies such as AI, ML and IoT coming to the fore, existing job roles are changing at a rapid pace too.

While human teams earlier had to carry out several basic functions that were time-consuming and highly repetitive, machines are stepping in to take over. With this, the roles of human teams are now shifting focus to become more about programming these tools to carry out the same tasks faster, more efficiently and across larger pools of data.

Additionally, with the ever-changing market trends and consumer demands, paired with the complexity of products today, ML tools are also proving to be an effective solution to detect defects – or potential defects – within products or machinery. This is carried with predictive analysis via image recognition and virtual inspection processes, thus helping workers act on it instantly and minimise downtime, having a direct positive impact on smooth operations.

Thus, it is imperative for industries, academia and the government to target the current and future workforce with practical training and right exposure. Together, they will be able to create a strong talent pool that is equipped for today’s evolving professional landscape. This will further enable businesses to tap into the latest technological advancements which, when implemented strategically, will help companies to optimise business operations, cut costs, boost employee skills and raise levels of productivity for the long run.

Author’s Bio:
Jaydev V. Sanghavi (B.Tech-Chemical Engineering- Mumbai University) is an Executive Director at Aarvi Encon Limited. He has been with the company for 25 years, and has been instrumental in getting multiple strategic tie-ups in place, as well as in establishing the company’s Temporary Staffing division, which he heads currently. He has handled various consulting assignments in Project Coordination, Operations Management, and Business Development positions. These projects were for clients such as Reliance Refinery and Telecom, and Jaydev played a key role in developing the business across a number of countries.

Chemingineering | Expanding Frontiers

K. Sahasranaman (Independent Industry Consultant)
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Chemingineering | Expanding Frontiers

 

This month we celebrate 50 years of the conquest of Moon. Our columnist examines some of the advances in material science that made space exploration a reality. New materials will continue to help us breach the frontiers of space.

This month we celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the most courageous acts of man. 20th July 1969 is a Red Letter Day in the annals of our history as Neil Armstrong took the first human step on the moon. “A Giant Leap for Mankind” was his famous words after that heroic act. It was also a giant leap for science and engineering. 400,000 engineers, scientists and technicians from more than 20,000 companies worked on the Apollo programme. More than anything else, it was a triumph of materials and material science.

Polymer Testing

Between 1964 and 1967, Jet Propulsion Laboratory of California Institute of Technology undertook a comprehensive study of polymers for spacecraft applications. The objective of this exercise was to select polymers to be used for various components of spacecraft in missions to Moon. During these 3 years, testing equipment was designed, and testing procedures and techniques were developed to identify and certify polymers for use in spacecraft. The prospective materials were tested for their ability to withstand extreme temperatures, electromagnetic radiation and meteoroid impacts. More than 350 polymeric materials were tested in the programme. Spacecrafts encounter situations that are very different from earth. The 3 most important parameters to be considered are – radiation, vacuum and temperature. In addition, resistance to abrasion by impact with micrometeoroids and erosion from atomic Oxygen is also important.

Radiation Breakdown

10% of sunlight is in the UV and X-ray region. While the earth’s atmosphere does not allow these to pass through, they are present in full strength in space. UV irradiation of polymers leads to the formation of free radicals which breakdown the polymer chain and crosslinking and consequent loss of mechanical strength and deterioration of thermal and electrical properties. Correlations between polymer structure and radiation resistance have been established. Aromatic groups in side chains have been found to increase radiation stability, but have the reverse effect in the main chain. Chlorine and Fluorine molecules in the polymer chain reduce the radiation resistance. Reinforced plastics are 1000 times more resistant to radiation than unreinforced plastics.

Vacuum Outgassing

Vacuum in space poses another kind of threat to spacecraft – outgassing. Outgassing occurs when volatile material trapped in the polymer matrix are released due to low pressure. These volatile matters may re-condense and deposit on sensitive parts of optical elements and electronic components, causing them to malfunction. The outgassing tendency of a polymer is measured by the VCM (Volatile Condensable Material) test; it measures the volatile material given off by a polymer that can condense on cooler surfaces. Norms of acceptable VCM limits were established while selecting polymers for Mariner IV mission to Mars in 1964.

Extreme Temperatures

Spacecrafts and spacesuits are designed to protect the astronauts from extreme temperatures ranging from minus 270 degrees C of deep space to 1260 degrees C during re-entry to the atmosphere. In the late 1950s, a chemist Carl Marvel synthesised Polybenzimidazole (PBI) for the US Air Force. PBI’s excellent thermal and chemical stability attracted NASA’s attention and the tragedy of Apollo I in 1967 hastened its adoption in the space programme. NASA contracted with Celanese Corporation to develop a line of PBI textiles that could be used for spacesuits and space vehicles. PBI was used extensively in Apollo and space shuttle missions. Subsequently, PBI has been used in numerous military and civilian applications.

Applications

Polymers have a wide range of applications in spacecraft and spacesuits. These include thermal blankets, thermal control paints, adhesives, insulating coatings and lubricants. Thermal blankets are essential for regulating the temperature of the spacecraft. These are essentially Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) consisting of several layers of polymer films. Polyethylene Terephthalate (Mylar) and Polyimide (Kapton) are commonly used polymers. The layers are separated by fine gauze cloths made from Nylon. Thermal control paints provide the same purpose as thermal blankets. Paints are either black or white and consist of pigments dispersed in polymeric binders. Most widely used binders are urethanes in case of black paints and silicones in case of white paints. Adhesives are used for structural bonding, lamination of optical elements, and thread locking to prevent loosening of fasteners under high vibration conditions. Several adhesives have been developed meeting the requirements of outgassing and bond durability over a wide range of temperature.

Spacesuits

A wide variety of polymers go into the making of spacesuits worn by astronauts. The spacesuit worn by Neil Armstrong was literally a walking encyclopedia of polymers – Nylon, Mylar, Dacron, Nomex, Kapton. The outer layer was made from a special fabric called “Beta Cloth” – fibreglass fabric coated with Teflon. The specially designed outer layer provided protection from heat, radiation and abrasive lunar dust. The spacesuits continue to evolve while the basic principles remain the same.

Nanotechnology

If the last century was all about polymers, the future belongs to nanomaterials. Much research is focused on how nanotechnology can be used to reduce the mass, volume and power consumption of different components and systems used in spacecraft. Nanomaterial based composites are being studied to achieve a significant reduction in the weight of the spacecraft. Nanotechnology promises to offer self-heating materials which can be deployed for extremely long-distance space flights of future which are vulnerable to damage from meteor impacts. Spacesuits of future may incorporate nanosensors and nanorobots. The nanosensors would be able to diagnose a medical emergency and instruct the nanorobots to deliver appropriate drugs to the astronauts.

Solar Sail

The next generation of spacecraft may well be propelled through space by solar sails and not chemical-powered rockets. Solar sails are giant reflective sheets which harness the kinetic energy of light particles. Billions of photons from the Sun impinge on the giant solar sail and the resulting momentum exchange with the reflected photons pushes the spacecraft faster and faster through space. Till date, Beryllium has been the most researched material for use in the solar sail. But there is a growing interest in a Graphene solar sail and scientists believe it will outperform the one made of Beryllium. It is estimated that a spacecraft equipped with a Graphene solar sail will take about 1000 years to reach Alpha Centauri, the star closest to us and 4.4 lightyears away.

Advances in materials have enabled us to expand our horizon in unimaginable ways and will continue to do so in future. The frontiers of space and knowledge will continue to be breached.

Readers’ responses may be sent to k.sahasranaman@gmail.com or chemindigest@gmail.com

Chemical Industry Digest – July 2019

Chemical Industry Digest
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Chemical Industry Digest – July 2019

Articles covered in this issue:

Union Finance Budget
-Gaurish Zaoba and Kartik Lata, PwC

The expectation in business and industry, after the huge mandate the government got, was that the budget would be a path-breaking dream budget. Instead, the government has opted for an incremental push. The highlights are presented in this report

Document Management
– K Sahasranaman – Independent Consultant

Documentation is at the heart of every project execution in the chemical process industry. Large volumes of documents are created to ensure transferring relevant engineering information to all stakeholders working on the project. This article describes the various elements in document management and its importance.

Importance of Piping Materials in Process Plant EPC
– Mrinmoy Ghosh Choudhary

Proper selection of piping material, its manufacture, testing and layout are crucial for the optimal and hassle-free working of any process plant. Most of the parameters for pipelines need to be included at the earliest stage of a project as outlined in this article.

Variable Speed Drives Slash Pumps’ Life Cycle Costs
– S Raghava Chari

In this detailed article, the author elaborates on the multiple benefits that Variable Speed Drive delivers in pumping systems. It slashes life cycle costs and also enables smoother operations.

Atmospheric Water Generator
– Ramesh Kumar Soni

At a time when the entire country, though blessed with abundant rainfall and water sources, is gripped with the scarcity of water and drought, here comes an invention- Atmospheric Water Generator by a B-Tech graduate, now pursuing a Masters Course, of a device that captures moisture from the atmosphere and converts into usable water. Read on the feasibility of the device

Yesteryear Nobel Laureate

Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood
– Veena Patwardhan, Special Correspondent

This multidimensional Nobel laureate provided the thrust to the knowledge on reaction kinetics. His interests went beyond science into music, literature and philosophy. Read the
story of his life.

Elements Matter

Lead- The Multipurpose Element
– Veena Patwardhan, Special Correspondent

Lead is one of the few elements known from BC-thousands of years back. As much as its versatile use and application it is getting increasingly shunned these days due to the widespread awareness of its toxicity in various forms.

Chemingineering – Expanding Frontiers
– K Sahasranaman – Independent Consultant

The epoch-making Apollo XI flight which launched the first man on the moon- Neil Armstrong- was in his words ‘a giant leap for mankind’. Our columnist writes on the advances in materials
which have facilitated space flights.

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Valdel Engineers & Constructors Pvt Ltd – Multiple Openings

Chemical Industry Digest
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Valdel Engineers & Constructors

Valdel Engineers & Constructors Pvt Ltd. is an  ISO 9001-2015 accredited multi-discipline engineering Company, having more than 500 technical Professionals, engaged in engineering of OIL & Gas projects in India and abroad.
We are expanding our operation at our Bangalore office and looking for qualified,  experienced and committed professionals who can take up the challenge.

Professionals with a Degree in engineering or Diploma with a minimum of 5 years of relevant Engineering / Design/ Modelling experience can apply for the following disciplines:

Piping Layout engineering: Code (PIE)
 Experience in layout /Design, preferably using SP3D and CAD Works

Piping Stress Engineering: Code (STE)
Experience in using Caeser II

Piping Modelling /Drafting: Code (PID)
Experience in 3D Modelling Using SP3D, PDMS. 2D Knowledge, Exposure to micro station, AutoCAD and Smartsketch

Process engineering: Code (PRE)
Experience in Basic & Detailed Engineering of downstream hydrocarbon units (Refinery & petrochemical). Exposure to HAZOP and usage of Hysys & other simulation Software

Process Drafting: Code (PRD)
Experience in PID Drafting using SPPID/ AutoCAD

Civil & Structural Engineering: Code (CSE)
Experience in STAAD Pro found. 3D & MAT 3D software with exposure to design of pipe racks, process Structures, Equipment’s foundations. Exposure to American & Euro codes would be added advantage

Civil Modelling /Drafting: Code (CSD)
Experience in 3D Modelling using SP3D, PDMS and CAD Works, exposure to modelling of pipe racks, process structures, equipment foundations. 2D Knowledge, exposure to Microstation, AutoCAD, and Smartsketch

Project Engineering: Code (PE)
Experience in handling domestic and international clients. Knowledge of engineering disciplines workflows. Planning for engineering activities using primavera planning software. Change order approvals, interfacing for invoice preparation and follow up for payment

Instrument Engineering: Code (INE)
Experience in Inst. Index, I/O List, TBE, VDR, cable schedules, datasheet, SPI Experience in engineering modules

Instrument Modelling /Drafting: Code (IND)
Experience in 3D modelling using SP3D. 2D knowledge, exposure to MicroStation, AutoCAD and smart sketch. SPI exposure in wiring module / Hookup module, installation drawings. Preparation of F&G and Telecom Layouts

Electrical Engineering: Code (ELE)
Experience in SLD, Load list, electrical equipment’s Specs, Layouts, cable sizing, cable schedule. Experience In ETAP, Dialux, SPEL. Exposure to ANSI, IEC standards would be added advantage

Electrical Modelling /Drafting: Code (ELD)
Experience in 3D Modelling using SP3D, PDMS. 2D knowledge, Exposure to microstation, AutoCAD and Smartsketch

QA /QC: Code (QAC)
QC engineers/inspectors having experience in reviewing manufacturing documentation  (WPS, NDT, PMI, HT, TT) for international refinery projects.

Procurement / Expedition: Code (PRO)
Experience in procurement activities international EPC projects and having exposure to expediting activities involving international supply market. Should have solid techno-commercial knowledge and excellent communication skills to deal with international suppliers and clients

Cost Estimation Engineer: Code (CMT)
Exposure in cost & Price estimation and Qty. surveying for the EPC contract

HSE: Code (HSE)
PFD, P&ID review, HAZOP/PHA preparation, and experience in Coordinating HSE risk assessment studies. Exposure to national and international Environment safety standards and environmental management systems

Please forward your resume to hrblr@valdelec.com quoting the code fo the position applied in the subject line of the E-mail.
You may visit our website www.valdelec.com, where you can get more information on VEC

Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited, Pune – Multiple Openings

Chemical Industry Digest
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Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited, Pune

MNGL invites applications from Indian nationals for the following posts at various locations of MNGL:

Positions Department
DGM, Ch.MGr, Sr. Mgr & Asstt. Mgr / Officer Projects
Ch. Mgr & Dy. Mgr Operation & maintenance
DGM, Sr. MGr, Mgr, Dy. Mgr, Asstt. Mgr & officer Marketing
GM/DGM, Mgr, Dy. Mgr, Asstt. Mgr/ Officer & officer-CSR Human Resource
DGM/Ch. Mgr Company Secretary
GM & Officer Finance & Accounts
Asstt. Mgr Legal
Sr. mgr & officer Information Technology
Dy. Mgr Business Development

For eligibility criteria, job profile, CTC, etc., candidates are required to visit ’Careers’ section of MNGL website www.mngl.in. Eligible and interested candidates may send their application by registered post to chief Manager (HR), Maharashtra Natural gas Limited. A-Block, plot no. 27, narveer tanajiwadi, PMPML Bus depot. Commercial Building, 1st floor, Shivajinagar, Pune – 411005 in the prescribed format along with requisite documents to reach MNGL within 15 days from the date of publication of advertisement. For subsequent notification will be published in the newspaper.

Flowrite Valves Company – Multiple Openings

Chemical Industry Digest
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Flowrite Valves Company

Urgently Required for Valves Factory Positions:

  1. Valves Production manager
  2. Valves design Engineer
  3. Certified valves Quality Engineer

Terms & conditions

  1. Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering
  2. Candidate Should have 8-10 years Experience in relative fields
  3. Free Recruitment
  4. 8 hours duty/ 6 days in a week
  5. Free accommodation & transportation will be provided by the company
  6. Medical insurance will be provided by the company
  7. 2 years renewable contract

Interested candidates can send the C.V to E-mail: info@flowrite.com.sa
Company Website: www.flowritevalves.com

Lead – The multipurpose element

Chemical Industry Digest
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Lead – The multipurpose element

Element number 82—lead—has been known to humankind for millennia and is one of the seven metals of antiquity, the others being gold, silver, copper, iron, mercury and tin. For thousands of years till the present age, lead has been used for myriad purposes.
The main reason for its widespread use even in ancient times was that its melting point (327.5°C) was much lower than most metals, making it that much easier to separate it from its ores. Another reason was that the metal was durable and malleable and appeared to be resistant to corrosion, much like modern plastic. The metal was so flexible, it could be transformed into thin sheets and soldered into pipes. As the lead mining historian Lynn Willis put it, lead could be considered to be the plastic of the past.

A long history of manifold uses

Lead artefacts can be found throughout the ancient world. The Romans were among the first to use lead on an industrial scale. Throughout the Roman Empire, lead was used for lining aqueducts and making water pipes. In fact, their Latin name for lead—plumbum—was from where the chemical symbol for lead, Pb, and the English words ‘plumber’ and ‘plumbing’ were derived. The Romans also used lead for making tablets for recording inscriptions, coins, cooking utensils, and for making decorative paints and a sweetener-cum-preservative for wines.

Lead’s association with the construction trade too goes back a long way. It has been providing waterproof material for roofing and window frames, and also for sealing stone walls, for long. Masons used to formerly use a heavy lump of lead on a string as a plumb-line. Lead carbonate has been used for making cheap, durable paint since ancient times.
As late as in the 17th century, most of the well-to-do people in western countries had lead tableware, water pipes and tanks, and drainage pipes.

Even today, lead is used in multiple fields from the automobile and marine industries to the medical field as a protection against radiations, X-rays and the sports field for making equipment like corrosion-resistant scuba diving weight belts. After World War I, the demand for lead rose greatly because of a higher production of cars and motorised vehicles, a large number of which used lead-acid batteries for starting their engines.
Lead is rarely found in the free state in nature. Galena (PbS) is the primary ore of the metal, other important ores being anglesite (PbSO4) and cerussite (PbCO3).
By the early 21st century, the highest producers of lead in concentrate.in the world included China, Australia, the US, Mexico, Peru, and India.

Advantageous properties

Lead is a heavy metal that is soft and malleable and is a poor conductor of electricity. Silvery white when freshly cut, it gets tarnished in moist air and develops a grey-coloured coating that was earlier thought to be lead suboxide (Pb2O). Now, we know the coating formed is a mixture of lead and lead monoxide (PbO) that protects the metal from further corrosion.

It is because of this property of corrosion-resistance that lead has numerous industrial and chemical applications.

Lead may be soluble in dilute nitric acid, but it is widely used for storing corrosive chemicals like sulphuric acid or hydrochloric acid. It is only superficially attacked by such strong acids because of the protective coating of insoluble lead sulphate or chloride that forms on its exposed surface, thus preventing a continued reaction with the acids. This property of chemical resistance makes it a metal of choice for roofing, coverings for electric cables placed underground or underwater, linings of water pipes and conduits, and structures used for transporting or processing corrosive substances.

Also, molten lead is an excellent solvent for silver and gold. Other useful properties of elemental lead are its ductility, low melting point, high density, and the ease of welding it. The metal’s ability to absorb gamma rays and X-rays is the reason why we find it in doctor’s clinics and X-ray rooms and as a protective shield around nuclear reactors and containers used for moving and storing radioactive materials.

From among the many applications of lead, the most extensive one is in the manufacture of storage batteries. Lead is a principal component of lead-acid batteries used in cars. It is also used for making ammunition (bullets).

Lead poisoning

One of the negative properties of lead is its low tensile strength that limits its structural applications. However, a more serious one is that lead and its compounds are toxic to human life and other life forms. Their continued retention and accumulation in the body over a period of time leads to what is known as cumulative poisoning. The more soluble the lead compound, the higher its toxicity.

Lead poisoning even has a special name—saturnism. The connection of the name to the planet Saturn could be because alchemists used to associate lead with Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture and harvest. They used Saturn’s symbol, the sickle—a harvesting implement—to represent lead.

The toxicity of lead has been known from ancient times. Vitruvius, the renowned Roman engineer and architect from the time of Julius Caesar wrote that “water is much more wholesome from earthenware pipes than from lead pipes”. Sometime later, in the first century A.D, the Greek physician and pharmacologist and author of the famed De Materia Medica had noted the harmful effects of lead on the mind. Despite that, lead continued to be widely used by the Romans in several products such as paints, cosmetics, and water pipes.

But, the greatest source of lead poisoning could have been the wine they drank. The Romans boiled unfermented grape juice in lead kettles to form a concentrate called sapa for sweetening and preserving their wines. What they didn’t know was that the aromatic syrup contained around 1 gm per litre of lead. Not surprisingly, lead poisoning was a disease of the wealthy in ancient Rome.

Today, we know that chronic lead exposure causes headaches, depression, aggression, memory loss, and even sterility. It is believed that the world-famous painters Caravaggio, Francisco Goya, and Vincent Van Gogh, all three of whom suffered from mental problems, could have had lead poisoning because of overexposure to or careless handling of oil paints containing lead while painting. In those days, white colour oil paint was made with lead carbonate.

In the 20th century, there was a marked increase worldwide in lead exposure levels due to the growing use of lead. For instance, the most wide spread toxic addition to the global environment is believed to be the additive tetraethyl lead (TEL) in gasoline from the 1920s onwards. For seven to eight decades, millions of vehicles dispersed this toxic substance into the environment all over the world. Lead is also added to the ubiquitous polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Recent positive developments

In the 1970s and 1980s, the American paediatric psychiatrist Herbert Needleman discovered that even extremely low levels of lead exposure caused irreversible damage to infants and unborn babies. Their IQs tended to drop as they grew older, they struggled to concentrate on studies, and often dropped out of school. Needleman’s discovery is responsible for lead finally getting taken out of gasoline in the US and gradually in other parts of the world. Now, paints and insecticides containing lead are being phased out and the movement to eliminate lead from the environment continues.

However, the most prominent use of lead today is in cars. Around 90% of the lead produced is used to make batteries, mostly car batteries. Even hybrid and fully electric cars have a lead acid battery to complement the main lithium or metal-hydride battery in the car.

The good news is that unlike containers of leaded petrol, a lead-acid battery is a sealed unit from which the lead never escapes. Also, lead has the highest recycling rate of any metal. Around half of all refined lead today comes from recycled batteries and lead-containing scrap. The recycling rate of lead batteries in Europe and North America is almost 99%! And that’s not only due to strict enforcement of environmental regulations. It’s just that lead is a metal that’s absolutely easy to recycle.

References

1. Traci Pedersen: Facts About Lead – Live Science, 6 October, 2016, https://www.livescience.com/39304-facts-about-lead.html
2. Somobrata Acharya: Lead between the lines – Nature Chemistry, Volume 5, Page 894, 23 September, 2013
3. Royal Society of Chemistry: Lead –http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/82/lead
4. Anne Marie Helmenstine: 10 Lead Element Facts – Thought Co., 20 September, 2018, https://www.thoughtco.com/lead-element-facts-608167
5. Geology.com: Uses of Lead – https://geology.com/usgs/lead/
6. Dr. Herbert L. Needleman: History of lead poisoning in the world – BiologicalDiversity.org, https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/get_the_lead_out/pdfs/health/Needleman_1999.pdf
7. Laurence Knight: The fatal attraction of lead – BBC News Magazine, 12 October, 2014, https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29568505.

Madras Fertilizers Ltd – Various Openings

Chemical Industry Digest
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Invites fertilizers for the Following Post:

S No Post / level Age Min/ Max Pre-revised pay scale No. of Posts
1 Manager (Instrumentation) – E5 36/45 yrs 32900-58000 01-UR
2 Dy. Manager (Liaison officer) – E3 30/40 yrs 24900-50500 01-UR
3 Jr. Fireman GR –I General: 25/30 yrs
Ex-serviceman;

Not more than 40 years

 9020-3% (30) 01-UR

For detailed information, please visit our website www.madrasfert.co.in

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur – Multiple Openings

Chemical Industry Digest
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IIT Kanpur  Recruitment 2019 For faculty and Scientific & design Staff Positions

IIT Kanpur invites applications from Indian nationals and overseas citizens of India (OCIs), Person of Indian origins (PIOs) and foreign nationals for the level of Professor/ Associate professor/ Assistant Professor in its various academic Departments:

Post Pay Level
Professor 14A
Associate Professor 13A2
Assistant Professor Grade – I 12
Assistant Professor Grade – II 10 and 11
Principle Research engineer (Regular/Deputation/contract) 13

 

Applicants should have an excellent academic record with relevant experience as mentioned in the detailed advertisement which is available at https://www.iitk.ac.in

The last date of the receipt of the online applications is 20th August 2019

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