NATIONAL CHEMICAL LABORATORY (NCL)  
 
 
 

MANDATE  MAIN FACILITIES  SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS  CONTACT ADDRESS

Established in : 1950

MANDATE

• To advance knowledge in different areas of chemical science and technology.
• To develop new products, processes and technologies.
• To develop globally competitive technologies.
• To undertake process design and engineering.
• To carry out technology search, evaluation, selection, monitoring, assessment and forecasting.
• To assist the chemical industry through consultancy, contract research, training, etc.

• A wide range of moden instruments for characterization and structure determination of chemicals.
• A sohiisticated catalyst testing unit.
• Facilities for fabrication of polymer engineering components.
• Gene synthesis facilities.
• Pilot plant facilities.
• Computer facilities.
• Library, housing the National Information Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Technology (NICHEM).

1. Catalysis
2. Polymers
3. Organic Chemical Technology
4. Biotechnology
5. Basic Research

• NCL has developed world class technologies in the areas of petroleum refining, petrochemicals refining, and fine chemicals.Notable success are catalysts and processes for isomerisation of xylenes, ethylbenzene, C₆/C₉ trans-alkylation, maleic anhydride, ethyl methyl ketone, acetic acid, benzofuran, guaiacol, m-hydroxyanisole and propionic acid The accent is on ecofriendly greeen processes, in which the use of hazardous chemicals is eliminated. A process is jointly developed with Reliance Industries Ltd. for linear alkyl benzene (LAB) that uses zeolites catalysts instead of the highly corrsive and toxic hydrogen fluaride is a recent example.The area of catalysis at NCL has the unique record of being the only one form which a hi-tech product ( a state-of -the-art catalyst) has been exported to an advanced wertern country.

• In the area of polymers, the laboratory has developed a fibre-reinforced thermoplastic material and successfully used it for producing some critical components of two wheeler engines. NCL and CBRI have jointly developed Beck-Bond, a polyurethane waterproofing compound based on an eco friendly raw material. NCL's Jalshakthi, a superabsorbing material with uses in agriculture, horticulture, and aforestation is already well known. Functionally-grafted cable compounds, meeting the stringent specification of the cable industry, have been developed in collaboration with Cable Corporation of India Ltd. Membrane filters for Oxygen enriched air, membrane filters for drinking water, controlled release formulation of drugs, vaccines and pesticides, and composite bearing bush are among the other products that are at various stages of development.
• Frontier-area research in the field of polymers being carried out at NCL includes the design of novel membrane materials for gas seperation through mollecular modelling; polymers with controlled mollecular properties for use as viscosity index omprovers; novel self-associating polymers for drag reduction in oil pipelines; inteligent materials such as smart gels for application is seperation technology, enzyme mimics, etc.; manipulation of polymer surfaces/intersurfaces for improving their barrier/adhesive properties, and water-borne adhesives and surface coatings eith enhanced ecofriendliness.

• NCL has strong linkages with chemical industry and is uniquely equipped to tacle current and futuristic problems of the industry. One of the recent successes include novel oligonucleotide probes for replacing hazardous radioactive probes.
• Some other success in this area include complex synthesis of brassionolide, biotin, prostaglandins, and vitamin B₆ . A unique synthesis of the ranitidine intermediate, methylamino methylthionitroethane with a zeolite catalyst, and that of a key intermediate of carbomate pesticides illustrate NCL's commitment to clean technology. An example of interdisciplinary research is the microdial transformation-based synthesis of phenylglycine.
• Probing nature for obtaining useful molecules also finds an important niche in NCL's programme. This has lead to the isolation of two anti-cancer agents,  vinblastine and vincristine from the plant Catharantus roseus, two biopesticides from the Indian neem, and a process for morphine and codeine starting from opium.There is also considerable stress for synthesis for new molecules with commercial potential like anti-cancer and anti-HIV agents, cardiac and anti-malarial drugs, plant growth promoters and dye-intermediates.NCL's early concern about heavy loss of agricultural products cuased by insect pests resulted in the development of processes for endusulfan, dimethoate and ethion, three pesticedes thar are still widely used.

• NCL's strength in biotechnology lie in enzyme engineering, fermentation technology, plant molecular biology and plant tissue culture. An actinomycete strain Chainla capable of improving the quality of dissolving pulp by removing xylans from it; and alkalophilic Bacillus with a similar property; a high activity alkaline protease secreting a strain of Conidiobolous; a high activity Myrothecium verrucaria capable of producing chitinase; and the identification chitin-degrading enzymes mark NCL's success in enzyme engineering.The continuous fermentation technology (Encillium) for producing alcohol from molasses using an immobalized yeast has been NCL's chief acheivement in the recent years in the area of fermentation technology.In the area of plant molecular biology RFLP and genetic engineering are being applied for breeding protein enriched varities of rice and tur dal.
• A very significant acheivement in the area of plant tissue culture in the development of a fast growing variety of bamboo, in which the flowering time is reduced from a few years to only a few weeks. Its other successes include a development of a disease resistant and high yielding variety of sugarcane, and elite varieties of forrestry trees like eculaiptus and salvadora; an isolation of superior variants like Cardamom, turmeric and ginger. NCL's Superior cardamom variety commercialised by A.V. Thomas & Co., has helped boost India's export of this spice.
• Currently the focus in on recovery of natural products from marine organisms; enhancement of oil recovery using aerobic and anearobic microbes; isolation of oil degrading yeast, bacteria and fungi; use of enzyme inhibitors as drugs, a use of microbial products against plant pathogens. The National Collection of Industrial Micro-organisms at NCL is a unique facility that reflects India's rich biodiversity.

• NCL's policy is that globally competitive technologies can be built only on a strong science base.
• Important basic research has been carried out at NCL that has potential applications in materials, organic reactions, plant tissue culture and polymers. The discovery that films of amphiphiles can be obtained through self organization without the agency of a condensed solid-phase Langmuir monolayer has opened new possibilities in material synthesis. NCL's exploration of nano particle science has provided pointers to potential electro-chemical applications including electrocatalysis, energy conversion and storage. Studies of Langmuir-Blodgett films have not only thrown new light on the basic mechanisms but has laid to deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles which can be employed in the harvest of solar energy. The breakthrough in bamboo research, already described also belongs to this category.
• NCL's current research interests in basic science include photoinduced electron transfer reactions, orgranometallic compounds in asymmetric synthesis, synthesis of fluorescent probes, living anionic polymerisations, coupled cluster methods in quantam chemistry, and non-linear dynamics of chemical reactions, etc.
• NCL's innovation in inducing enzyme-like activity in polymeric gels responsive to stimuli (Gelzymes), and it's expolration of zeolites with enzyme like activity (Zeozymes) are but two examples of NCL's diverse strengths interacting with each other to produce novel results.

CONTACT ADDRESS
Pune 411 008
Telephone: (091)212-336451/52/53.
Telegram : CHEMISTRY PUNE.
Telex    : 0145-7266, 0145-7586 & 0145-7633 NCL IN.
Fax      : (091)212-330233, 334761.
E-mai    :  root @ ncl.ernet.in

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