At the time of second wave of COVID-19 Pandemic, which institute had demonstrated the conversion of nitrogen generator into oxygen generator ?

During the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2021, IIT Bombay demonstrated a creative solution to address oxygen shortages by converting a Nitrogen generator into an Oxygen generator. The project, led by Professor Milind Atrey, utilized the existing Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology found in industrial nitrogen plants. By replacing the Carbon Molecular Sieve (CMS)—which adsorbs oxygen to produce nitrogen—with Zeolite Molecular Sieve (ZMS), the unit was modified to adsorb nitrogen and produce oxygen instead. Initial tests showed that the converted plant could produce oxygen with 93-96% purity at 3.5 atmospheric pressure. This innovation provided a rapid, cost-effective way to repurpose industrial infrastructure for medical emergencies.