Dr. Srinivasa Sourirajan, the accomplished scientist best known as the father of Reverse Osmosis, died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 98 in Ottawa, Canada on 20th February, 2022. His prolific and highly impactful work contributed to the development of scientific pathways that addressed some of the most pressing social issues of our time, including equitable global access to drinkable water and food supply, innovation in healthcare and medicine, and scientific breakthroughs on clean energy. He was a three-time nominee of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Born in rural India in 1923, he received a PhD in chemistry in post-colonial India, and his research brought him to Yale University for another doctorate in chemical engineering. Moving on to UCLA, he made important contributions in different areas, including geophysics, catalysis and, most notably, he developed cellulose acetate membranes for desalination by reverse osmosis together with Dr Sidney Loeb. The invention triggered the large-scale industrialization of membrane separation processes, and Dr. Loeb then built the world’s first commercial RO desalination plant in Coalinga, California.
Dr. Sourirajan moved to Canada in 1961, where he worked as a researcher at the National Research Council (NRC) for 25 years. Thanks to his work, in the 1960s the NRC became an international hub for membrane research, drawing the best scientists from all over the world. His work also inspired industrial uses of reverse osmosis by companies like Dupont.
Nominated to the Nobel Prize in Chemistry three times, Dr. Sourirajan received numerous honors for his accomplishments. They include an Honorary Doctorate Degree by the University of Ottawa in 1994 and becoming part of the American Membrane Technology Association’s Hall of Fame in 2016. He was recognized as one of the top chemical engineers of the 20th century by the Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference.
