Vaishnavi Ganesh

PhD Candidate
Employed since: February 2024
Email: v.ganesh@uu.nl
Room: David de Wied, 4th floor study area

Research

Research

In recent years, the application of polyurethanes as insulation in residential and commercial settings has emerged as a significant driver for their growth, leading to enhanced energy efficiency and decreased CO2 emissions. Aniline and phosgene synthesis are key steps in the production chain of isocyanate precursors necessary for polyurethane manufacturing. Therefore, improving the efficiency and sustainability of these reactions is imperative.

This research project, in collaboration with BASF, aims to uncover the catalyst degradation mechanism involved in these reactions by investigating the activation and deactivation species using a combination of standard and advanced characterization techniques. These techniques include vibrational micro-spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and synchrotron-based X-ray micro-spectroscopy to monitor changes in the catalyst structure and the formation of carbon deposits. Gaining such a comprehensive understanding of catalyst stability under varying operating conditions and catalyst compositions could lead to the development of improved catalysts with extended lifetimes, fewer regeneration cycles, and minimized catalyst waste.

C.V.

C.V.

2024 – present
PhD Candidate in Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis
Utrecht University, The Netherlands

2021 – 2023
Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering (Track: Process Engineering)
TU Delft, The Netherlands

  • Process Design Project: Urenco and Department of Chemical Engineering, TU Delft
  • Honours Research Project in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD): Department of Bioprocess Engineering, TU Delft
  • Master Thesis: Catalysis Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, TU Delft
  • Internship: Heterogeneous Catalyst Group, Hydrocarbons R&D, Dow Benelux B.V., Terneuzen

2017 – 2021
Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering
SSN College of Engineering, Anna University, India