Dr. P. PARTHASARATHY, MS, Ph.D, C.E.F (USA)

WASTE to WEALTH, THE CHANGE MAKER

By K. Ashok Kumar, Safety Engineer, O & G Engineering WLL

"Capital isn't so important in business. Experience isn't so important. You can get both these things. What’s important is ideas. If you have ideas, you have the main asset you need, and there isn't any limit to what you can do with your business and your life." says Harvey Firestone.

 Dr. P. Parthasarathy is a model for this quote, who is an innovative person from his childhood onwards. He has done Post Graduation in IIT Chennai and Ph.D in E-Waste Recycling. He is also interested in music.

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought." – this attitude of Dr. P Parthasarathy, made him as Managing Director of M/s E-Parisaraa, E-Waste Recycling Unit and M/s Surfacechem, Gold Plating Unit, Bangalore.

He has over 10 years of experience in Electronic Waste Recycling and 30 years in Electroplating and Chemical processing of metals. He has published many scientific papers and patents in these fields.  He was also a Consultant for Singapore based MNC. In addition he is also member of many professional bodies – Member for task force constituted for E-Waste by Ministry of Environment and Forest, Govt. of India, Member of American Electroplaters Surface Finishers, USA etc.

1.   E-WASTE RECYCLING INDUSTRY –  M/S E-PARISAARA, BANGALORE

E-Parisaraa, an Eco-friendly Recycling unit is established by Dr. P Parthasarathy at Dosapet, Bangalore in 2000 covering about 1.5 Acres with the vision to become a world-class facility providing services and solutions for E-Waste recycling and to help mother earth to harvest maximum resources.

He considers E-Waste not as waste, but a resource for recovery in an environmental friendly manner.

E-Parisaraa is first Indian E-Waste recycler to obtain ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007 certification by complying with all applicable requirements of  Environment Management System and Occupational Health and Safety Management systems.It is approved by Karnataka Pollution Control Board. It  Technology recycles 90% of E-Waste and less than 1% regarded as waste to landfill.

Mr. Abdul Kalam, Past President of India visited the E-Parisara Stall during Environmental day Celebration in 2006 at Bangalore and appreciated its Waste recycling activities.

Metals Recovery

Metals are mainly obtained from Equipment Casings, Chassis, Hard Disks, Floppy drive, CD drives, SMPS , Circuit Board, Printed Wire Board. 

Gold Recovery By E-Parisaraa:

Selective Recovery of Gold from Gold Plated E-Waste using Aqueous Strippers. The basket with the gold coated components are suspended into the solution for a few minutes till the entire gold coating is selectively stripped off by dissolving into the solution in such a way that the under coatings mainly Nickel are totally unaffected.

Silver Recovery By E-Parisaraa

The silver is selectively stripped off using a proprietary solution.  By this method the base metals (aluminum or copper) are not attacked. The silver is precipitated from the solution as Silver Chloride, which is converted into metallic silver, dried and melted into bullion.

Recovery of Concealed Metals

After selective recovery of apparent gold and silver, the E-Waste components are shredded and exported to Belgium, where they recover precious and rare metals like Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Ir, Cu, Ni, As, In, Se, Te, Pb, Sn, Sb, Bi etc .

Research and development

E-Parisaraa is also into research in E-waste recycling with qualified people and using its own survey, student projects and PhD studies. Apart from these E-Parisaraa has also involved in Many projects organized by different organizations.

Students Project

E-Parisaraa has also encourages students, the future generations, to involve in environmental protection and 3 R Concept projects. Below are some projects carried by students at E-Parisaraa Unit.

2.   GOLD PLATING INDUSTRY – SURFACECHEM FINISHERS, BANGALORE:

During 1995, after leaving service, he started a Watch case manufacturing and gold plating unit “Surfacechem” in Peenya Industrial Estate, Bangalore, supplying Gold plated accessories for branded watch manufacturers. The whole unit is designed by him. The plating process adopted is an unique one which gives good look and extended life. The unit is an ISO 9001 – 2000 certified company with about thirty employees. Dr. Parthasarathy also published a few scientific papers and patents on Metal recovery and  established several Gold plating plants in India. Their specialized services include: Watch Industries, Imitation jewelry Industries, Temples, Churches and Monastery Items and many others.  Some of the major Gold plating works undertaken on request to the Customers’ supplied Articles / Products on Job Work basis are: Tirupathy Devastanam, Greater Chincinnati Temple Mandabams, Ohio, USA, shown in picture) and many more.  The Pictures shown are the Kalasams plated at SurfaceChem in connection with Sri Sathya Sai 85th Birth day celebrations and Golden Chariot for Coimbatore temple.

The most of the Gold Plating done from the Gold recovered from Electronic Waste at E-Parisaara, his own Company.

 “There’s a way to do it better – Find it” This attitude of Dr. Parthasarthy which makes him to bring in efficient Technology to keep his industries always a step ahead. In addition to traditional Gold Plating process, Ion Gold Plating is introduced which is a most advanced surface finishing processes. Ion plating involves adding a special layer having high chemical stability, to the component to be plated. To this is added a gold coating. At low pressure-one thousandth of mercurial pressure-solid metal vaporizes and becomes electric ions when heated and bombarded by electrons, known also as plasma. Accelerated by a magnetic field, ion plating is carried out in a vacuum environment. In the conventional “Wet” plating processes, the gold coating on the surface of the case can be rubbed off easily. Ion plating makes the gold plating more durable, more wear resistant, corrosion resistant and also has a higher brightness with aesthetic look. This minimizes gold wastage and Pollution free. Dr. Parthasarathy affirms that “SurfacChem Gold Plating lasts – Not lost”.

 

 

 

 ACHIEVEMENTS AND AWARDS

·         Best Electroplater Award for the year 2003 by the Society for Advancement of Electrochemical Science and Technology (SAEST) of CECRI, Karaikudi, Tamilnadu

·         In 2004, Electrochemical Society Of India, Indian Institute Of Science has honored him with the prestigious N.M. Sampat Award in recognition of contributions to precious metal plating industries

·         “Udyama Shree Prashasthi”  award by Shri, shri, Shivakumara  Swamigalu by Siddaganga Institute, Tumkur.

·         Parisara  Mithra Award by Honourable Chairman of Karnataka State Pollution
 Control Board

·         Frost & Sullivan Excellence Award for the “Best Entrepreneurial Company “of the year 2009 in the Waste Management Services Vertical.

·         “Certificate of Commendation for Significant Achievement” among the Micro Business Organizations for the year 2010, CII-ITC SUSTAINABILITY AWARD.

·         Innovative MSME Project Award by Honourable Union Minister Padma Vibhushan Shri  Pranab Mukherjee by SIDBI

·         Technovation Awards 2011by India Semi Conductor  Association (ISA) for “Start-up to Watch” - 2011 , Bangalore.

·         “Glory Of India Award” and Certificate of Excellence in Friendship Banquet in Bangkok- 2011.

·         “Excellent Initiative towards E-Waste Management for the Year 2011” by Federation of Indian Export Organizations under Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Government of India “FIEO Telecom Technology Awards 2011” New Delhi.

·         National Award - 2010 Outstanding entrepreneurship - First Prize by The Ministry of MSME, from Her Excellency, The President Of India, Dr. Mrs. Pratiba Devisingh Patel on 2nd Sep 2011 at Vigyan  Bhavan, New Delhi.

 

 

1.For details on Gold Plating : https://www.goldplatingindia.com/

2. For details on E-Waste         :   https://www.ewasteindia.com/

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