Dr. Kaushik Nath, Professor of Chemical Engineering and In-Charge Principal, G H Patel College of Engineering & Technology, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Anand, Gujarat, holds 26 years of teaching and 18 years of research experience. He obtained his B.Tech and M. Tech. in Chemical Engineering from Calcutta University and Ph.D. from IIT Kharagpur. His core areas of expertise and research include membrane-based separation processes, advanced wastewater treatment, biohydrogen production and biorefinery operation. Dr. Nath has published over 105 research papers and articles in numerous peer reviewed international and national journals of high impact factors and also in conference proceedings with total citations above 3060 till date. The h-index of his publications now stands at 21 while the i10-index is 30. He authored a book on ‘Membrane Separation Process’ from Prentice Hall of India and contributed 10 other book chapters. He has one Indian patent awarded to his credit and published 02 Indian pa
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Chemical Engineering, Filtration and Separation, Process Chemistry and Technology, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
71
Scopus Publications
3708
Scholar Citations
24
Scholar h-index
34
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
PSF/PEES blended montmorillonite clay composite nanofiltration membrane for dye wastewater treatment Krupa Patel, Pragnesh N. Dave, Kaushik Nath Results in Engineering, 2026 In the present work, by applying the phase inversion technique PSF/PEES (polysulfone/poly 1,4-phenylene ether ether sulfone) blended and PSF, PEES core membranes with and without incorporation of Montmorillonite (MMT) clay were synthesised with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the porogen and N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) as the solvent. Membrane performance was investigated on cross flow nanofiltration system for the removal of Congo Red (CR), Crystal Violet (CV), Methylene Blue (MB) dye and divalent salts. From the studies, it is found that the PSF/PEES blended membrane with the incorporation of MMT clay having 98.15% rejection for CR dye with higher flux. Contact angle analysis and water uptake study confirm the hydrophilic nature of membranes. The lowest contact angle and maximum water uptake capacity were obtained for the PSF/PEES blended membrane (membrane with 50% PSF and 50% PEES, with the addition of MMT). Furthermore, the developed membranes were evaluated for antifouling performance using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model foulant, achieving a flux recovery ratio (FRR) of approximately 66%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and XRD analysis have been used for the morphological, surface, thermal and chemical characterization of prepared membranes, respectively. Based on the above characterisation studies, it was found that the PSF/PEES blended membrane incorporating MMT clay exhibited optimized performance.
Multi-Kinetic Modelling and Process Performance of a Lab-Scale Modified Rotating Biological Contactor Used as a Post-Treatment for Pre-Treated Synthetic Wastewater of Auramine O Dye Indian Journal of Environmental Protection, 2026
Osmotic dilution: a sustainable option for dewatering of wastewater and application in irrigation Supritam Dutta, Dolly Gandhi, Kaushik Nath Indian Chemical Engineer, 2026 Osmotic dilution is an environmentally benign natural process where a fertiliser solution is used in forward osmosis as a draw solute to pull water from a feed solution. Good-quality water can be drawn out of seawater (desalination) and/or wastewater (dewatering), thus generating a nutrient-rich stream which can be used for irrigation purposes in agriculture. The problem of regeneration of draw solutes, which is energy-intensive, can be avoided to a great extent. This work focuses on the performance of a few inorganic fertilisers such as ammonium sulphate, magnesium sulphate and potassium chloride as draw solutions for drawing pure water from wastewater using two Indigenous thin film composite (TFC) membranes. Performance parameters like water flux and reverse solute flux are studied. Partial recovery of the resultant fertiliser solution is attempted by nanofiltration to achieve nutrient balance for possible large-scale application in a sustainable manner.
Modelling and Prediction of Permeate Flux in the Ultrafiltration Recovery of Sodium Lignosulfonate from Aqueous Solution Vinay B. Patel, Haresh K. Dave, Tejal M. Patel, Kaushik Nath Acta Chimica Slovenica, 2025 Modelling and data fitting for the prediction of permeate flux during ultrafiltration (UF) of a model feed solution of so-dium lignosulfonate was carried out following resistance in series, gel polarization and Kedem Katchalsky equations. The experiments were conducted in a laboratory UF unit equipped with PES/HFUF asymmetric membrane under specific operating conditions by altering some parameters including solute concentration, transmembrane pressure (TMP), and cross flow velocity (CFV). The maximum experimental permeate flux was observed at TMP of 3.92 bar and CFV 0.527 ms−1 was 19.6 × 10−6 m3m−2s−1. The theoretical and experimental volumetric flux was plotted, and their extent of resem-blance was compared and validated statistically. The study sheds light on the effective upcycling of sodium lignosulfonate from spent liquor via ultrafiltration.
The Operation of a Modified Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC) for the Enhanced Reclamation of Dye Wastewater Sustainability in Chemical Processes Through Digitalization and Green Chemistry Approaches, 2024
Progress and Perspective for Carbon Quantum Dots and Analogous Carbon-Based Nanomaterials in Augmenting Forward Osmosis Performance Supritam Dutta, Pragnesh Dave, Kaushik Nath Separation and Purification Reviews, 2024 Forward osmosis (FO) has emerged as a new star in the family of membrane-based separation processes not only as a stand-alone system for high-fouling feed but also in combination with other membrane processes. In spite of being a non-pressurized process, their widespread commercial applications compared to classical technologies are still constrained by core challenges, primarily low flux, concentration polarization, energy-intensive draw, and solute recovery. Carbon Quantum dots (CQDs) - an emerging class of carbon-based smart nanomaterials has stimulated a renewed interest in FO research for membrane as well as draw solutes development. Given the general panorama of past-to-present literature, the paper intends to provide a comprehensive survey on the CQD synthesis and their various modes of incorporation into FO membranes for process improvement. Thin film nanocomposites and active skin layers modification by incorporation of CQDs, via phase inversion or interfacial polymerization, were attempted by researchers and compared to other techniques. Although CQD incorporation resulted in appreciable water flux improvements, the reverse solute flux remains a concern. The uses of CQDs, both as a pristine and functionalized version, prove to be promising as a valuable ingredient of draw solute for the FO process.
The Transformation of Chemical Engineering with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): A Review of Future Opportunities and Challenges Sustainability in Chemical Processes Through Digitalization and Green Chemistry Approaches, 2024
Enhanced sequestration of commercial Auramine O dye in a Fenton oxidative decolourization process Khyati Kishorchandra Modi, Kaushik Nath Indian Journal of Chemical Technology, 2023 The present work investigates the Fenton degradation of commercial Auramine O dye from a model solution through advanced oxidation process (AOP). The effects of initial pH, ferrous ion and H2O2 concentration have been evaluated with respect to the extent of decolourization of the feed solution. A maximum decolourization to the tune of 91.8% is accomplished at a pH of 3.0. The effect of various doses of Fe2+ and H2O2 on the percentage reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) is investigated at a constant pH. 84.9% reduction of COD is obtained using a combination of 48 mL/L H2O2 and 6 g/L Fe2+. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis reveals the presence of toxic non-biodegradable Auramine O dye in the model solution before the Fenton AOP, which is degraded into several compounds including CO2 after 30 min of Fenton AOP. The spectral output from FTIR analysis corroborates the molecular rearrangement during Fenton process with consequent degradation.
Treatability of whey processing effluent in an ultrafiltration pilot plant using hydrophilic polyethersulfone membrane Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 2020
Reclamation of model wastewater containing rhodamine b by electrochemical fenton (ECF) process Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 2019
Acetic acid separation as a function of temperature using commercial pervaporation membrane Iranian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 2019
Recovery of Acetic Acid from Vinegar Wastewater Using Pervaporation in a Pilot Plant Membrane Processes Pervaporation Vapor Permeation and Membrane Distillation for Industrial Scale Separations, 2018
Sorption and diffusion phenomena in pervaporative Dehydration of acetic acid through a PVA-PES composite membrane Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 2018
Effect of Temperature on Pervaporation Dehydration of Water-Acetic Acid Binary Mixture Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 2017
Feasibility study of microbial regeneration of spent activated carbon sorbed with phenol using mixed bacterial culture Indian Journal of Chemical Technology, 2013
Reclamation of dye wastewater using a flat sheet nanofiltration membrane: Study of permeate flux and quality Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 2012
Methane hydrate : Little known energy resource of the future: A review Journal of Surface Science and Technology, 2007
Production and storage of hydrogen: Present scenario and future perspective Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 2007
Physicochemical parameters, isotherms, sorption kinetics and column operations for adsorption of copper (II) from wastewater using fly ash Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 2007
Experimental investigation Chemical Engineering World, 2006
Role of Fe-hydrogenase in biological hydrogen production Current Science, 2006
Biohydrogen production as a potential energy resource - Present state-of-art Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 2004
Biohydrogenation using enterobacter cloacae DM11 and a comparative energy analysis with biomethanation Proceeding of the 2003 Energy and Environment, 2003
Hydrogen from biomass Current Science, 2003
Treatment of Dairy Effluent Using Suspended Growth Technique in an Aeratad Batch Reactor Indian Journal of Environmental Protection, 2003
Treatment of dairy effluent using aerobic suspended growth and anaerobic attached growth techniques - A comparative study Asian Journal of Microbiology Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences, 2002
A survey on biodegradation of phenol from wastewater Indian Journal of Environmental Protection, 2002
Adsorptive dephenolation of waste water using fly ash and low grade coals Journal of Surface Science and Technology, 2001
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
PSF/PEES Blended Montmorillonite Clay Composite Nanofiltration Membrane For Dye Wastewater Treatment K Patel, PN Dave, K Nath Results in Engineering, 110894 , 2026 2026
Osmotic dilution: a sustainable option for dewatering of wastewater and application in irrigation S Dutta, D Gandhi, K Nath Indian Chemical Engineer 68 (2), 404-414 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Modelling and Prediction of Permeate Flux in the Ultrafiltration Recovery of Sodium Lignosulfonate from Aqueous Solution. VB Patel, HK Dave, TM Patel, K Nath Acta Chimica Slovenica 72 (3) , 2025 2025
Progress and perspective for carbon quantum dots and analogous carbon-based nanomaterials in augmenting forward osmosis performance S Dutta, P Dave, K Nath Separation & Purification Reviews 53 (2), 194-215 , 2024 2024 Citations: 9
Enhanced sequestration of commercial Auramine O dye in a Fenton oxidative decolourization process KK Modi, K Nath Indian Journal of Chemical Technology (IJCT) 30 (5), 606-613 , 2023 2023
Valorisation of sodium lignosulfonate by ultrafiltration of spent sulphite liquor using commercial polyethersulfone membrane K Nath, VB Patel, HK Dave, SC Panchani Indian Chemical Engineer 64 (5), 553-564 , 2022 2022 Citations: 1
Modelling and Multi-Objective Optimization of Continuous Indirect Electro-Oxidation Process for RTB21 Dye Wastewater Using ANN-GA Approach. NR Vaghela, K Nath Acta Chimica Slovenica 69 (2) , 2022 2022 Citations: 1
Choline chloride-Glycerol (1: 2 mol) as draw solution in forward osmosis for dewatering purpose S Dutta, P Dave, K Nath Membrane Water Treatment 13 (2), 63 , 2022 2022 Citations: 7
Fundamentals of membranes for wastewater treatment: Challenges and opportunities for resource recovery K Nath, S Dutta, A Patel, AA Mungray Novel Approaches Towards Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery … , 2022 2022 Citations: 4
Reduced graphene oxide coated graphite electrodes for treating Reactive Turquoise Blue 21 rinse water using an indirect electro-oxidation process NR Vaghela, K Nath SN Applied Sciences 2 (11), 1839 , 2020 2020 Citations: 27
Treatability of Whey Processing Effluent in an Ultrafiltration Pilot Plant using Hydrophilic Polyethersulfone Membrane VB Patel, HK Dave, K Nath Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research 79, 850-853 , 2020 2020
Evaluation of Prosopis juliflora as a potential feedstock for the production of sodium lignosulfonate from the spent liquor of a laboratory digester K Nath, SC Panchani, TM Patel, HK Dave, VB Patel, KK Tiwari, N Sahoo Journal of Wood Chemistry and Technology 40 (5), 331-347 , 2020 2020 Citations: 9
Effect of selected process parameters on the electrodialytic separation and concentration of sulfuric acid using graphite electrodes B Sheth, K Nath Chemical Engineering Communications 207 (3), 295-305 , 2020 2020 Citations: 4
Performance of low pressure nanofiltration membrane in forward osmosis using magnesium chloride as draw solute S Dutta, P Dave, K Nath Journal of Water Process Engineering 33, 101092 , 2020 2020 Citations: 29
Modeling of Sorption Behaviour of Ethylene Glycol‐Water Mixture Using Flory‐Huggins Theory HK Dave, K Nath Modeling in Membranes and Membrane‐Based Processes, 277-300 , 2020 2020 Citations: 2
CONCENTRATION OF SULFURIC ACID FROM SPENT ACIDIC LIQUOR BY CASCADED ELECTRODIALYSIS USING AN INTERPOLYMER ANION EXCHANGE MEMBRANE B SHETH, K NATH ASIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY 32 (5), 1169-1176 , 2020 2020
Dewatering of brackish water and wastewater by an integrated forward osmosis and nanofiltration system for direct fertigation S Dutta, K Nath Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering 44 (12), 9977-9986 , 2019 2019 Citations: 22
Design and development of electronic jacquard for Korai mat weaving loom KB Nath, S Nayak, R Ambareesh, S Ganesan, CS Reddy Indian Journal of Fibre & Textile Research 44 (3) , 2019 2019
Reclamation of model wastewater containing Rhodamine B by electrochemical Fenton (ECF) process NR Vaghela, K Nath J Sci Ind Res 78, 624-628 , 2019 2019 Citations: 6
Acetic acid Separation as a Function of Temperature Using Commercial Pervaporation Membrane H Dave, K Nath Iranian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 38 (3), 283-292 , 2019 2019 Citations: 2
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Improvement of fermentative hydrogen production: various approaches K Nath, D Das Applied microbiology and biotechnology 65 (5), 520-529 , 2004 2004 Citations: 790
Hydrogen from biomass K Nath, D Das Current science, 265-271 , 2003 2003 Citations: 305
Kinetics of two-stage fermentation process for the production of hydrogen K Nath, M Muthukumar, A Kumar, D Das International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 33 (4), 1195-1203 , 2008 2008 Citations: 232
Modeling and optimization of fermentative hydrogen production K Nath, D Das Bioresource technology 102 (18), 8569-8581 , 2011 2011 Citations: 213
Improvement of Biohydrogen Production Under Decreased Partial Pressure of H 2 by Enterobacter cloacae B Mandal, K Nath, D Das Biotechnology letters 28 (11), 831-835 , 2006 2006 Citations: 179
Hydrogen production by Rhodobacter sphaeroides strain O.U.001 using spent media of Enterobacter cloacae strain DM11 K Nath, A Kumar, D Das Applied microbiology and biotechnology 68 (4), 533-541 , 2005 2005 Citations: 177
Feasibility studies on the fermentative hydrogen production by recombinant Escherichia coli BL-21 G Chittibabu, K Nath, D Das Process Biochemistry 41 (3), 682-688 , 2006 2006 Citations: 155
Revisiting the recent applications of nanofiltration in food processing industries: Progress and prognosis K Nath, HK Dave, TM Patel Trends in Food Science & Technology 73, 12-24 , 2018 2018 Citations: 134
Role of Fe-hydrogenase in biological hydrogen production D Das, T Dutta, K Nath, SM Kotay, AK Das, TN Veziroglu Current science, 1627-1637 , 2006 2006 Citations: 126
Effect of light intensity and initial pH during hydrogen production by an integrated dark and photofermentation process K Nath, D Das International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 34 (17), 7497-7501 , 2009 2009 Citations: 110
Effect of some environmental parameters on fermentative hydrogen production by Enterobacter cloacae DM11 K Nath, A Kumar, D Das Canadian Journal of Microbiology 52 (6), 525-532 , 2006 2006 Citations: 102
Prospect of ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents as new generation draw solution in forward osmosis process S Dutta, K Nath Journal of Water Process Engineering 21, 163-176 , 2018 2018 Citations: 93
Biohydrogen production as a potential energy resource-present state-of-art K Nath, D Das Journal of scientific and industrial research 63 (9), 729-738 , 2004 2004 Citations: 91
Microbial regeneration of spent activated carbon dispersed with organic contaminants: mechanism, efficiency, and kinetic models K Nath, MS Bhakhar Environmental Science and Pollution Research 18 (4), 534-546 , 2011 2011 Citations: 82
Graphene oxide incorporated novel polyvinyl alcohol composite membrane for pervaporative recovery of acetic acid from vinegar wastewater HK Dave, K Nath Journal of Water Process Engineering 14, 124-134 , 2016 2016 Citations: 57
Preparation of activated carbon from dried pods of Prosopis cineraria with zinc chloride activation for the removal of phenol K Nath, S Panchani, MS Bhakhar, S Chatrola Environmental Science and Pollution Research 20 (6), 4030-4045 , 2013 2013 Citations: 49
Alleviation of flux decline in cross flow nanofiltration of two-component dye and salt mixture by low frequency ultrasonic irradiation TM Patel, K Nath Desalination 317, 132-141 , 2013 2013 Citations: 42
Super phosphoric acid catalyzed esterification of Palm Fatty Acid Distillate for biodiesel production: physicochemical parameters and kinetics AV Metre, K Nath Polish Journal of Chemical Technology 17 (1) , 2015 2015 Citations: 41
Feasibility of forward osmosis using ultra low pressure RO membrane and Glauber salt as draw solute for wastewater treatment S Dutta, K Nath Journal of environmental chemical engineering 6 (4), 5635-5644 , 2018 2018 Citations: 39
