Pankaj Indurkar | Water Treatment | Research Excellence Award

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Mr. Pankaj Indurkar | Water Treatment | Research Excellence Award

Senior Scientist | Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute | India

Mr. Pankaj Indurkar is a researcher in membrane science, separation technology, and water purification, recognized for contributions that integrate advanced materials engineering with data-driven modeling. His work spans the development of high-performance ion-exchange membranes, mixed-matrix membranes, and polymeric frameworks designed for desalination, pollutant remediation, and industrial water processing. He has played key roles in designing electrodialysis, membrane distillation, and electro-deionization systems, contributing to indigenous technology development for saline water treatment, brackish water desalination, and ultrapure water generation. His research portfolio demonstrates strong expertise in synthesizing functional materials such as MOF-incorporated membranes, porous polymeric networks, nanocomposites, and metal-doped aerogels, complemented by extensive use of statistical modeling, multivariate optimization, response surface methodology, and machine learning for predicting membrane performance and enhancing process efficiency. He has published widely in high-impact journals on topics including heavy-metal remediation, fluoride and arsenic removal, electrodialysis modeling, neural-network-guided membrane design, and nanomaterial-based water purification strategies. His work also includes book chapters on MOF-based membranes for water and wastewater remediation and contributions to the development of computational frameworks for chemicals recovery from brines, integrating optimization, techno-economic analysis, and data analytics. Through collaborative and multidisciplinary projects, he has contributed to the fabrication, testing, and field deployment of membrane-based and adsorbent-based treatment units for industry and research institutions. His expertise reflects a blend of experimental innovation and computational intelligence aimed at advancing sustainable and energy-efficient water treatment technologies.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publication

Pankaj, D. I., & Kulshrestha, V. (2025). Electrochemical informed machine learning models for prediction of electrodialysis desalination performance. Separation Science and Technology.

Kumar, P., Suhag, S., Indurkar, P. D., Shahi, V. K., & Kulshrestha, V.* (2025). Synthesis of polyacrylonitrile-based terpolymer cation exchange membrane for efficient brackish water desalination via electrodialysis with neural network prediction. Desalination.

Mishra, S., Upadhyay, P., Indurkar, P. D., & Kulshrestha, V.* (2025). Designing of PVDF-based cation exchange membranes with improved electrochemical properties for energy-efficient brackish water desalination. ACS ES&T Engineering.

Shukla, S., Gupta, A. R., Ratnakar, S. B., Ganguly, B., Indurkar, P. D., & Sharma, S. (2025). A revolutionizing polymeric framework with integrated aluminium fragment for superior water decontamination empowered by a statistical modeling approach. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 13.

Sutariya, B., Sarkar, P., Indurkar, P. D., & Karan, S.* (2024). Machine learning-assisted performance prediction from the synthesis conditions of nanofiltration membranes. Separation and Purification Technology.

Yueping Bao | Water Treatment | Editorial Board Member

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Dr. Yueping Bao | Water Treatment | Editorial Board Member

Associate Professor | Nankai University | China

Dr. Yueping Bao is an environmental scientist and engineer whose work centers on advancing sustainable water treatment technologies through innovative catalytic and membrane-based approaches. Her research integrates materials science, environmental engineering, and analytical chemistry, with a strong focus on advanced oxidation processes, catalytic ceramic membrane development, pollutant degradation mechanisms, and electrochemical treatment strategies. She has contributed to major national research initiatives, including work on enzyme-assisted photocatalytic degradation of chlorophenol pollutants, where she played a key role in catalyst synthesis, system design, and analytical method development. Her expertise spans catalyst fabrication, membrane optimization, water purification system enhancement, and the application of chromatography-based pollutant detection methods. Professionally, she has held research and academic positions in leading institutions, contributing to interdisciplinary projects aimed at improving the efficiency and sustainability of wastewater treatment. Her teaching experience includes supporting postgraduate laboratory instruction and materials science courses, reflecting a commitment to both scientific innovation and student development. Dr. Bao has also engaged with the global research community, sharing her work at international scientific forums. Through her combined research, academic service, and professional engagement, she continues to advance environmentally resilient technologies with the potential to mitigate complex pollution challenges and support long-term water resource protection.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Chen, X., Zhang, H., Xu, S., Du, X., Zhang, K., Hu, C.-P., Zhan, S., Mi, X., Oh, W. D., Hu, X., et al. (2023). A recyclable Co–Fe bimetallic immobilized cellulose hydrogel bead (CoFeO@CHB) to boost singlet oxygen evolution for tetracycline degradation. Catalysts, 13(8), 1150.

Bao, Y., Chen, Y., Lim, T.-T., Wang, R., & Hu, X. (2019). A novel metal–organic framework (MOF)-mediated interfacial polymerization for direct deposition of polyamide layer on ceramic substrates for nanofiltration. Advanced Materials Interfaces, 6(201900132).

Bao, Y., Oh, W.-D., Lim, T.-T., Wang, R., Webster, R. D., & Hu, X. (2019). Elucidation of stoichiometric efficiency, radical generation and transformation pathway during catalytic oxidation of sulfamethoxazole via peroxymonosulfate activation. Water Research, 149, 1–12.

Lee, W. J., Bao, Y., Hu, X., & Lim, T.-T. (2019). Hybrid catalytic ozonation–membrane filtration process with CeOₓ and MnOₓ impregnated catalytic ceramic membranes for micropollutants degradation. Chemical Engineering Journal, 368, 109–118.

Xing, J., Liang, H., Chuah, C. J., Bao, Y., Luo, X., Wang, T., Wang, J., Li, G., & Snyder, S. A. (2019). Insight into Fe(II)/UV/chlorine pretreatment for reducing ultrafiltration (UF) membrane fouling: Effects of different natural organic fractions and comparison with coagulation. Water Research, 161, 115112.