Dr. Tapas Kuila Email & Phone Number

West Bengal, India

West Bengal, India

West Bengal, India

R&D

India

Durgapur Area, India

Job Responsibility: Heading the energy storage and polymer research laboratory under Surface Engineering and Tribology Divission at CSIR-CMERI, managing good laboratory practices, PhD guidance, providing training, introducing new equipments, developing analytical methods, leading projects, writing and reviewing proposals, technical papers, standard operation procedure (SOP) and collaborating with other organizations.Key Achievements:(1) Development of a production line for large scale graphene oxide.(2) Development of high energy density graphene supercapacitor device for the storage of electrical energy. The designed device can be charged fully within 30 Sec and it can lighten a red & green LED. The weight and volume of the device is significantly lower than that of conventional batteries.(3) Graphene filled epoxy and other thermoplastic-based composite materials have been developed in our laboratory. It has been found that there is about 48% improvement in tensile strength at break addition for the 0.5 wt% of surface modified graphene filled commercial epoxy resin as compared to the neat resin. The composites exhibited improved trio-property.(4) Graphene-based hot forging lubricant(5) Developed graphene-based coating materials that can be coated onto the surface of steel through spray coating method to reduce the hydrogen gas diffusion. (6) I am also working on another interesting project, i.e., development of graphene-based flexible electronics. The main objective of this project is to replace the highly brittle and unstable Indium Tin Oxide (ITO). It is well known that the unique features of graphene are its very high electrical conductivity, excellent mechanical flexibility and good electrochemical property. I have prepared highly conducting and electrochemically stable graphene-based materials that can be used as ink to draw electrical circuit on the plastic (PET) substrate.

Jeonju, Jeollabuk-Do, Korea

Area of Research Interests: Preparation, characterization, surface modification and applications of graphene-based materials.Key achievements: Developed graphene oxide my chemical oxidation-reduction method. Developed one-step and green production technology for the exfoliation of graphite. Surface modification of graphene oxide in water solvent. Developed green route for the reduction of graphene oxide using naturally occurring reducing agents. Developed graphene filled LLDPE composites with enhanced mechanical, thermal and gas barrier properties. Developed polymer nanocomposite membrane for fuel cell applications.

Jeonju, Jeollabuk-Do, Korea

Area of Research Interests: Preparation, characterization, surface modification and applications of graphene-based materials.Key Achievements:  Developed single layer graphene from graphite Developed process technology to prepare hydrophilic graphene Developed graphene filled polymer composites Investigated structure-property relationship of graphene filled composites. Dispersed graphene homogeneously in the LLDPE matrix.

Kharagpur Area, India

Area of Research Interests: Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Co-polymer/Surface Modified Layered Double Hydroxide Nanocomposites.Key Achievements:  Developed flame retardant additives (Mg-Al and Zn-Al Layered Double Hydroxide) for polymers through co-precipitation method. Surface modification of Mg-Al and Zn-Al LDH using SDS and SDBS. Prepared surface modified Mg-Al LDH filled ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer composites through solution mixing. Investigated the molecular level distribution of surface modified LDH in the EVA matrix. Prepared different types of EVA/LDH composites depending on the polarity of EVA. Investigated the mechanical and dynamic mechanical (DMA) properties of composites. Examined the thermal properties of the composites through TGA and DSC. It showed improved thermal properties as compared to the neat EVA. Improved solvent barrier properties of the composites as compared to neat EVA. Improved flame retardant properties of the composites due to the presence of LDH in the composites.  The degree of improvement of mechanical, thermal, solvent barrier and flame retardant properties depends on the polarity of the EVA matrix. Developed EVA/LDPE/DS-LDH composites through solution mixing. Mechanical, thermal, solvent barrier and flame retardant properties depend on the polarity of the blend matrix. Interpenetrating network formed as evidenced from the SEM image analysis. Developed surface modified LDH filled EVA/EPDM blend-based composites. Developed PEO-based solid polymer electrolyte (SPE). Investigated the effect of plasticizer on the electrochemical performances of the SPE. Studied the effect of LaMnO3 filler effect on electrochemical performances of the SPE. Investigated the temperature dependent ac conductivity of the SPE. Investigated the frequency dependent ac conductivity of the SPE.

Ph.D, Materials Chemistry

Master Of Science (Msc), Chemistry