Jayant M Modak is Professor and Chairman at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science. His research interests include modeling, optimization and control of reactors, engineering analysis of fermentation processes and biohydrometallurgy.

Fixed nitrogen from the air is the major ingredient of fertilizers which makes intensive food production possible. During the development of inexpensive nitrogen fixation processes, many principles of chemical and high-pressure processes were clarified and the field of chemical engineering emerged. Before synthetic nitrogen fixation, wastes and manures of various types or their decomposition products, and ammonium sulfate, which is a by-product from the coking of coal, were the primary sources of agricultural nitrogen. Chilean saltpetre, saltpetre from human and animal urine, and later ammonia recovered from coke manufacture were some of the important sources of fixed nitrogen [1].

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Address for Correspondence
Jayant M Modak
Department of Chemical Engineering
Indian Institute of Science
Bangalore 560012, India.
Email: modak@chemeng.iisc.ernet.in