Pioneering researcher wins IULTCS Merit Award 2021
The International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies has named Dr Thirumalachari Ramasami as the winner of the IULTCS Merit Award for Excellence 2021 in the Leather Industry.
The IULTCS Merit Award is given biennially by the IULTCS Executive to an individual whose endeavours have had an extraordinary impact on the industry and provide an example for others to follow.The association said: “Dr T Ramasami is known for his significant contributions to the chemistry of chromium as a scientist and leadership to the Indian leather sector as a technologist and to science as a civil servant.
Dr Ramasami’s investigations focused on mechanistic chemistry, industrial applications of chromium salts and ecological solutions to industrial environmental problems. Some of his major research contributions include demonstration of anomalous reactivity of chromium(III), stabilisation of unusual oxidation states of chromium, mechanistic insights into chromium induced apoptosis, understanding host guest interactions in biomolecular systems and development of technologies for improved tanning systems.”
He developed a “Unified theory of tanning” by probing molecular level understanding of tanning systems. More than 12 technologies developed by his group are in commercial use and several of them have been developed from first principles without international equivalents.
The Merit Award will be presented to Dr Ramasami once travel restrictions allow.
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