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Department of Pipeline Transport Systems & Societal Technologies
CSIR - IMMT Bhubaneswar
SLURRY RHEOLOGY
Rheology is a science that explains the deformation and flow behaviour of materials. We do a detailed rheological investigation of different slurries containing mineral ores, by-products, tailings, polymeric liquid, granular materials, and other particulate solids. This lab analyzes the influence of solid concentration, particle size distribution, particle shape, surface charge, and additive dosages on the flow behavior of different fluids under shear, time, temperature, and other external forces. The rheology of settling and coarse particle slurry/suspension is always challenging for a rheologist. The lab has adequate rheological facilities to address this issue. The visual observations of various rheological phenomena using microscopy tools are also one of the areas of expertise of this lab. We also utilize these rheological data to estimate the pipe flow parameters, including operating velocity, pipe diameter, Reynolds numbers, head loss, specific energy consumption, etc.
SLURRY PIPELINE TRANSPORTATION
Transporting a large quantity of bulk solids from extraction to the utilization sites needs greater attention. The slurry pipeline mode offers many advantages over the conventional techniques. The lab has 06 horizontal pilot pipe loop facilities and 01 vertical loop facility of different pipe diameters, pipe lengths, and pumping capacities. These loops are utilized to measure pressure drop in straight and bend pipes using pressure transducers and manometers at varying flow rates and solid concentrations. Pump current, flow rate, and pressure drop data are acquired using data aquation systems and PC units. The particle sedimentation is continuously monitored using an observation chamber. This lab also works on vertical solids lifting, which is helpful in the deep sea and open-cast mining processes. These loops are used to estimate the cost of pipeline transportation while handling a range of mineral ores and their by-products.
PIPE WEAR ANALYSIS
Wear is one of the diseases in the pipeline industry. The wear due to erosion, corrosion, and abrasion causes severe damage to the pipeline conveying system and incurs substantial financial losses. This lab has adequate facilities and expertise to quantify the influencing parameters of erosion, corrosion, and abrasion wear. Based on the wear data, the industries can forecast the service life of their existing pipeline system and select suitable materials for their futuristic pipeline projects. Industries can also analyze the reason for material failure, which is wear. This lab has developed a pilot slurry pipe loop erosion setup to determine the erosion rate of various pipe materials at different operating velocities, conveying time, and solid loadings. The lab has also developed a corrosion test apparatus to evaluate the corrosion rate at varying environmental conditions.
DEVELOPMENT OF BIO-ADDITIVES
Many chemical-based reagents are available in the market to optimize and improve the slurry flow; however, these reagents are expensive and pose additional waste to the ecosystem. The natural-plant-based bio-additives have the potential to modify the flow, reduce the frictional drag & pumping energy, and pipe wear, subsequently reducing the cost of transportation and pipe maintenance. This lab has explored and developed flow sheets to extract these additives from natural plants. These bio-additives have shown promising results as rheology modifiers, drag reducers, and wear inhibitors.
DEVELOPMENT OF SHEAR THICKENING FLUIDS
Body armor is one of the essential protective kavach for our armed forces. We understand the need for low-cost, lightweight, flexible, impact & stab-resistance fabric materials for armor application. This lab works on developing shear thickening fluid (STF), which can be impregnated on aramid fabrics to enhance its impact and stab resistance. The lab has sufficient facilities and expertise to characterize different STFs and fabric materials as per NIJ0115 standards to analyze the quality and resistivity of the aramid fabrics.
Valorization of e-waste
The process of valorizing e-waste entails the extraction of precious materials from discarded electronic devices through several techniques, including sorting, comminution, chemical leaching (hydrometallurgy), high-temperature smelting (pyrometallurgy), and, at times, bioleaching. This initiative aims to reclaim these materials while mitigating environmental impact by preventing harmful substances from contaminating landfills. The IMMT has sufficient expertise and facilities in this area to extract valuable metals from E-waste.
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