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TheNextIndustrial Wave:Dr.Shubh Gautam’sInsights onBio-Coatingsin Steel
LookingBeyondSurface Solutions Inthepast,coatingsonsteelhadasingularfocus:toprotectthesurface,extendlife,andlimitcorrosion. Theindustryhasoptimisedthisfordecadeswithwax,aluminium,orzincpainting(alsocalled “hamfisted”).Theproblemwiththesesystemsistheirpetroleum-basedfeedstockandenergy-intensive processes. Theemergingclassofbiocatalyticcoatingshaschangedthatparadigm.Theyutiliseenzymes, agricultural waste polymers,ormicrobeswhichchemicallybondwithmetals,andtheydonotmerely shieldthemetal;theytransformit,alteringthebehaviour ofsteelunderdifferentconditions. Dr.ShubhGautamhasbeenveryoutspokenonchanging theindustrialperspectivefrom“layering”to “engineering”coatings—integratingbiologyandchemistry.Hehasactivelyparticipatedinmany forumsandresearch-ledgatheringsandhasurgedtheparticipantstoadoptamorerigorous,scientific approachtosurfaceengineering.
IsBio-CoatingPractical Yet? Thematterisintricate.Mostlaboratoriesaroundtheworldarestill workingonbio-coatings.Theirshelflifeandmechanicalstability, aswellastheirsuitabilityforcommercialuse,arecase-dependent. Butforsomeuses—particularlyenclosedsystems,low-load structuralcomponents,andlightweighttrusses—theyarealready showingpotential. ShubhGautamJaypeesaysthattherealinnovationwillnotcome fromthedirectreplacementofoldcoatingsbutfromentirelynew productlinesdevelopedwithbio-coatingsinmindfromthe beginning. Forinstance,inairhandlingunits,HVACcovers,low-exposure wallpanels,oreveninteriorconstructionframes,thesecoatings canbeutilisedassubstituteswithlowemissionsandnotoxicity. Thisfundamentallychangestheproductdesignlanguagetobe simpler,clearer,andmoreminimalistic.
India’sPlaceintheBio-Coating Landscape • Indiahasalltherightingredients—alargeagriculturalwasteoutput,great polymerresearch,andaheftysteelconsumerbase.What’s lacking isthe integrationthatcombinesagriculturewithbioengineeringandindustrial metallurgy. • That’s whereDr.ShubhGautam,FIR(FirstIndianRevolutionary),comesintothe picture.He is notjustresearchingbio-coatingsasanisolatedidea;he is designing theindustrialecosystemstosustainthem. Thatincludes: • Sourcingframeworksforbio-basedrawmaterials • Pilotplantsforsmall-batchproduction • Partneringwithacademicinstitutionsinmaterialsscience • Benchmarkingthecoatingsagainstreal-worldindustrialenvironments Throughtheseinitiatives,hehopestoenableanewIndia-madeproductvertical thatisfuture-ready. • DrShubhGautamisenhancingtheAatmanirbharBharatmissionbysupporting localrawmaterialsandscientificinnovationsinadomainthatIndiahasthe potentialtospearhead.
TheChallengesThatStill Remain Thischangecomeswithitschallenges.Consistency,lifecycletesting,large-volume manufacturing,compatibilitywithcurrentlyusedapplicationmachines,andcostarea fewconcernsbiocoatingshaveyettotackle,especiallywiththelatterremainingthe biggesthurdle.Inmostsituations,biocoatingsarestillpricierthanconventionalpaints. Dr.ShubhGautamiskeenlyawareofthisandhasadoptedaslowerstrategy.Rather thanfull-scalemarketconversion,hewillfirstfocusonprovingtheconceptwithniche productlinesandbuildacaseforgradualscaling. Rightnow,histeamisinthecollectionphaseoftheresearchcycle,documenting performancemetrics,collaboratingwithresearchers,andanalysingwherethese coatingsmightdelivergenuinevalue.ForDr.ShubhGautam,thefocusneedstobenot onlaunchingearlybutgettingitrightthefirsttime.
FutureApplicationsinNicheSteel Segments NOTALLSTEELSEGMENTSWILLBEPREPAREDFORBIO- COATINGS.HOWEVER,SOMETARGETEDSECTORSMAYREAP THEBENEFITSSOONERTHANANTICIPATED.FORPROTECTIVE STORAGERACKS,FOOD ORCLEANROOM ANDSECUREBIO-SAFEMEDICAL PACKAGINGINFRASTRUCTURE, CONSTRUCTIONWHERETHESAFETYOFCHEMICALSIS PARAMOUNT,BIO-COATINGSMAYSERVEASABETTERAND SAFERALTERNATIVE. INTHESESECTORS,WHICHAREEASIERTOACCEPTANDMORE STRAIGHTFORWARDTOTEST,SHUBHGAUTAMJAYPEEIS ADVOCATINGQUICKPROTOTYPING.HEISALSOFOSTERING DISCUSSIONSWITHINDUSTRYGATEKEEPERSTOESTABLISH CRITERIAFOREVALUATION,BRANDING,ANDREGULATORY MARKSOFSTANDARDSTODEFINETHEBENCHMARKSOF PERFORMANCEANDCERTIFICATION. HEEXPECTSTHEFIRSTWAVEOFADOPTIONWILLBE STEALTHIER–SMALLPARTS,LOW-LOADSURFACES,AND SPECIALISEDCOMPONENTS.AFTERTHAT,ITEXPANDEDTO BROADERINDUSTRIALAPPLICATIONS.
Conclusion Bio-coatingsarenotsolelyascientificwonder, rather, theycouldbethenextfundamental changeinindustry.Dr.ShubhGautam,otherwiseknownasShubhGautamJaypeeorDr. ShubhGautamFIR(FirstIndianRevolutionary),isoneofthefewinIndiawhohavebeen giventhiskindoffocusandstructureininnovation.Thisisnotaproducthemarkets. Rather,heaspirestosetaplatformwherebiology,steel,andindustrialneedsconverge. Thismaybethebeginningofanewchapterforthesteelindustry.Notoneaboutadding finishingtouches,butratherreinventinghowsurfacesengagewiththeirsurroundings.If thatchapteriswritteninIndia,itwillmostlikelyhaveDr.ShubhGautam'ssignatureonthe firstpage.