Interfacial Engineering Course | NPTEL IIT Ropar | Prof. Manigandan
Course Details
| Exam Registration | 9 |
|---|---|
| Course Status | Ongoing |
| Course Type | Elective |
| Language | English |
| Duration | 8 weeks |
| Categories | Chemical Engineering, Minor 3 in Chemical |
| Credit Points | 2 |
| Level | Undergraduate/Postgraduate |
| Start Date | 16 Feb 2026 |
| End Date | 10 Apr 2026 |
| Enrollment Ends | 16 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Registration Ends | 27 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Date | 17 Apr 2026 IST |
| NCrF Level | 4.5 — 8.0 |
Unlock the World of Surfaces and Interfaces: A Premier NPTEL Course
In the realms of chemical engineering, materials science, and nanotechnology, the behavior at boundaries—where one phase meets another—holds the key to countless innovations. Interfacial Engineering is the specialized field that masters these interactions, governing phenomena from the stability of paints and pharmaceuticals to advanced water treatment technologies. For students and professionals eager to dive deep into this fundamental discipline, a structured, expert-led course is now available through NPTEL, offered by the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Ropar.
Meet Your Instructor: An Award-Winning Expert
This course is led by Prof. Manigandan from IIT Ropar, a distinguished educator and researcher with a formidable background. A Chemical Engineering PhD graduate from IIT Madras (2017), Prof. Manigandan brings a unique blend of over five years of industrial R&D experience and more than six years of academic teaching at reputed institutes.
His expertise is recognized through prestigious awards, including the Shah-Schulman Award for the best PhD thesis in Colloid & Interface Science in India (2017), presented by the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers. He has also received the Institute Research Award-2017 and a pre-doctoral fellowship award from IIT Madras for his outstanding research contributions.
His current research passions include:
- Colloid & Interfacial Science and soft matter
- Synthesis of active/anisotropic particles and their self-assembly
- Pickering emulsions and rheology of dispersions
- Advanced functional nanomaterials for wastewater treatment
Course Overview: What You Will Learn
This 8-week course is meticulously designed for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students (particularly final-year UG and PG) in Chemical Engineering and related fields. It serves as a Minor 3 in Chemical Engineering, providing a robust theoretical foundation and practical insights to propel your academic and research endeavors.
About the Course: The primary objective is to equip students with a strong background in interfacial phenomena. The curriculum emphasizes the importance of fluid-fluid and fluid-solid interfaces and delivers a theory-based understanding of colloidal science. A significant highlight is the demonstration of various techniques used in interfacial engineering, bridging the gap between theory and application.
Prerequisites: While not mandatory, prior familiarity with a course like Colloids and Surfaces (such as the one available on NPTEL) is beneficial for a smoother learning experience.
Detailed 8-Week Course Layout
| Week | Core Topics Covered |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Importance of surfaces and interfaces; Capillarity and surface tension |
| Week 2 | Young-Dupre equation; Young-Laplace equation; Kelvin equation; Applications |
| Week 3 | Concepts of Washburn approach; Adhesion, cohesion, and spreading coefficient |
| Week 4 | Critical micelle concentration (CMC); Critical packing parameter (CPP); Surface excess |
| Week 5 | Gibbs adsorption isotherm; Deposition of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films; Emulsion and microemulsion |
| Week 6 | Particles/droplets tracking; Colloids; Intermolecular forces; van der Waals forces |
| Week 7 | Electrical double layer (EDL) interaction; Gouy-Chapman and Stern EDL models |
| Week 8 | DLVO forces of interactions; Steric forces; Electrokinetic phenomena |
Essential Reference Books
To complement the lectures, the course recommends three foundational textbooks, invaluable for any aspiring interfacial scientist:
- Interfacial Science: An Introduction by Geoffrey Barnes and Ian Gentle (2nd Edition, Oxford University Press)
- Principles of Colloid and Surface Chemistry by Paul C. Hiemenz and Raj Rajagopalan (Marcel Dekker, Inc.)
- Intermolecular and Surface Forces by Jacob N. Israelachvili (3rd Edition, Academic Press)
Industry Relevance and Support
The principles taught in this course have direct applications across a wide spectrum of industries, making the knowledge highly valuable. The course content is recognized and supported by leading companies, including:
- Paint Industries (e.g., Asian Paints)
- Medical Sector (e.g., Helix Medical, LLC)
- Pharmaceuticals (e.g., Biolin)
- Surface Engineering (e.g., FLUPOL)
Mastering interfacial engineering opens doors to R&D roles in these sectors, working on product formulation, stability enhancement, material design, and environmental solutions.
Who Should Enroll?
This course is ideally suited for:
- Final-year Undergraduate students in Chemical, Materials, or Nanotechnology engineering.
- Postgraduate students (M.Tech, M.Sc., Ph.D.) beginning research in colloids, soft matter, or nanomaterials.
- Professionals in R&D seeking to strengthen their fundamental understanding of surface phenomena.
- Anyone preparing for competitive exams or a career in core chemical engineering industries.
Under the guidance of an award-winning professor from IIT Ropar, this NPTEL course on Interfacial Engineering is more than just a class—it's a foundational step towards becoming an expert in a field that shapes modern technology. Enroll today to start your journey at the interface of science and innovation.
Enroll Now →