CUK researchers secure patent for catalyst technology to produce cleaner fuels

Researchers at the Central University of Kerala (CUK) have secured an Indian patent for a novel multifunctional catalyst preparation technology that could help convert biomass and petrochemical feedstocks into cleaner fuels and other value added chemicals more efficiently.

The patent was granted for ‘Method for the Preparation of ITQ-2 Metal Oxy-Hydroxide Composite Material Thereof’ (Indian Patent No. 596368). The innovation was developed by Prof. A. Sakthivel along with researchers Soumya B.N. and Nimisha N.P.

Prof. Sakthivel said the team had developed a multifunctional catalyst, a specially engineered synthetic material known as zeolite, that can speed up chemical reactions required to convert biomass and petroleum-based raw materials into useful products.

“The main innovation is the preparation of the material itself. It is a multifunctional catalyst that combines acidic and redox (reduction-oxidation) properties in a single material, making it more efficient than conventional catalysts,” he said.