Research
  • Pervaporation: Dense membrane casting, characterization, various systems separations, organic-organic, effluent treatment, process modelling, etc.

  • Membrane Contactors: dissolved gas removals, modelling, simulation.

  • Enzymatic Membrane Reactor: effluent treatment, food product development etc.

  • Electro-dialysis: aqueous stream separations & process analysis, modelling.

  • Fuel Cell: synthesis & characterization of proton exchange membrane (PEM), water permeation modelling across PEM.

  • Pressure Driven Membrane Separations (RO/NF/UF/MF): Limiting Flux Phenomena, Fouling, Mass Transfer; Design, Optimization & Process Modelling.

  • Effluent treatment & process development: for industrial effluents such as paper & pulp, brewery, tannery, etc. development of sugar juice processing, biological treatment of effluent, etc.

  • Pulping & Bleaching: its kinetics, process modelling, waste liquor treatment, etc.

    • Awards
    • Hiyoshi Think of Ecology Award - 2009" of Hiyoshi Corporation, Japan for Outstanding contribution to applied study for Environmental Conservation and Protection. The Annual Prestigious Award is given to one person and comprises of a memento, cash prize and a citation.

    • Herdillia Award (1998) of “Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers” for “Excellence in basic research in chemical engineering”. The award carries a memento, citation and cash.

    • Chemical Engineering R & D Award (1996) by Institution of Engineers (India), UP State Centre for “Significant contributions in Membrane Separations”. The award carries a memento, citation and cash.

    Honors
    • Member – Editorial Board, Indian Journal of Chemical Technology, National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR), January 2015- December 2017

    • Member – Editorial Board, (from 1998 - ) for Journal of “Nature, Environment and Pollution Technology”, Techno-science Publications, India.

    • Member – National Board of Accreditation (NBA), set-up by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

    • Member – Advisory Committee, Council of Science & Technology, U.P., Lucknow (2000-2003).

    • Member – Technical Advisory Panel, of “Centre for Science and Environment – New Delhi” for “Green Rating of Pulp and Paper Industries”, (Refer to www.cseindia.org à Down to Earth, July 31, 1999 issue).

    • Member – Advisory Board, National Sugar Institute, Kanpur (September 2006 -).

    • Member – Board of Studies for ChE, (from 2003) for UP Technical University, India.

    Membership in Professional Bodies
    • Life Member - Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers

    Patent
    • "Process for the Recovery of Inorganic Chemicals from Kraft Black Liquor", P. K. Bhattacharya, S. De & Director, IIT KANPUR. Patent No. (India) 189310; approved on Feb 08, 2003.

    Selected Publications
    • Tapas Palai, Ashok Kumar and Prashant K. Bhattacharya, “Kinetic studies and model development for the formation of galacto-oligosaccharides from lactose using synthesized thermo-responsive bioconjugate", Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 70 (2015), 42–49.

    • Shivesh Chaudhary, Vinay K Sachan and Prashant K. Bhattacharya, “Two dimensional modelling of water uptake in proton exchange membrane fuel cell", International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 39, 17802 - 17818 (2014).

    • Tapas Palai, Avaneesh K. Singh and Prashant K. Bhattacharya, “Enzyme, β-galactosidase immobilized on membrane surface for galacto-oligosaccharides formation from lactose: Kinetic study with feed flow under recirculation loop", Biochemical Engineering Journal,, 88, 68-76 (2014).

    • Gunjan K. Agrahari, Niharika Pandey, Nishith Verma and Prashant K. Bhattacharya, “Membrane contactor for reactive extraction of succinic acid from aqueous solution by tertiary amine", Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 92, 2705–2714 (2014).

    • Tapas Palai and Prashant K. Bhattacharya, “Kinetics of lactose conversion to galacto-oligosaccharides by β-galactosidase immobilized on PVDF membrane.", Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 115 (6), 668-673 (2013).

    • Gunjan K. Agrahari, Sajal K. Shukla, Nishith Verma and Prashant K. Bhattacharya, “Model prediction and experimental studies on the removal of dissolved NH3 from water applying hollow fiber membrane contactor", Journal of Membrane Science, 390– 391, 164–174 (2012).

    • Amish Mandowara and Prashant K. Bhattacharya, “Simulation studies of ammonia removal from water in a membrane contactor under liquid-liquid extraction mode", Journal of Environmental Management, 92, 121-130 (2011).

    • Mrinal Kanti Mandal, Sudhindra B. Sant and P. K. Bhattacharya, “Dehydration of aqueous acetonitrile solution by pervaporation using PVA-iron oxide nanocomposite membrane", Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 373, 11–21 (2011).

    • Gopal R. Nemmani, Satyanarayana V. Suggala and Prashant K. Bhattacharya, “NSGA-II for Multiobjective Optimization of Pervaporation Process: Removal of Volatile organics from Water", Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 48 (3) 1543-1550 (2009).

    • Amish Mandowara and Prashant K. Bhattacharya, “Membrane contactor as degasser operated under vacuum for ammonia removal from water: A numerical simulation of mass transfer under laminar flow conditions.", Computers and Chemical Engineering, 33, 1123–1131 (2009).