Cotton ICAR Report

CFC Technical Paper Nr.58

Utilisation of Cotton Plant

By-Produce for Value Added Products

Final Report of Project CFC/ICAC/20

Final Report

Utilisation of Cotton Plant By-produce for Value Added Products

CFC/ICAC/20

Project Duration 01.10.2004 to 31.12.2009

The Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), NetherlandsProject Funded by

Under the Supervision of

Executed by

International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), USA

Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (ICAR) Mumbai, India

July, 2010

CFC/ICAC/20

Utilisation of Cotton Plant By-Produce for Value Added Products

Contents

PrefaceAcknowledgementsProject ProfileExecutive SummaryAbbreviations and AcronymsChapter 1 : CIRCOT Researches on Cotton Stalk Utilization ... ... ... 1

1.1 Cotton Cultivation ... ... ... ... 11.1.1 Distribution of Cotton ... ... ... ... 31.1.2 Cropping Season ... ... ... ... 41.1.3 Low Income from Cotton Farming ... ... ... ... 41.1.4 Exploitation of By-products ... ... ... ... 4

1.2 CIRCOT Researches on By-product Utilization ... ... ... ... 41.2.1 Cotton Stalk ... ... ... ... 6

1.2.1.1 Patrticle Boards from Cotton Stalk ... ... ... 61.2.1.2 Hardboards from Cotton Stalk ... ... ... ... 101.2.1.3 Other Uses of Cotton Stalk ... ... ... ... 12

Chapter 2 : Introduction to the Project ... ... ... ... 132.1 R & D in By-product Utilization at CIRCOT ... ... ... ... 132.2 Rationale for the Project and Objectives ... ... ... ... 132.3 Description of Project Components ... ... ... ... 14

Chapter 3 : Discussion of Project Findings under Component 1 ... ... 173.1 Estimation of Availability of Cotton Stalk ... ... ... ... 173.2 Collection and Cleaning of Cotton Stalk ... ... ... ... 183.3 Compaction Trials ... ... ... ... 223.4 TransportationTrials ... ... ... ... 233.5 Methodology of Chipping of Cotton Stalks and Transportation

of Chipped Material ... ... ... ... 243.5.1 Chipping Trials with Different Machines ... ... ... ... 243.5.2 Cost of Ready-to-use Cotton Stalk Chips ... ... ... 253.5.3 Transportation of Stalks and Chips ... ... ... ... 26

3.6 Storage Trials ... ... ... ... 263.7 Pesticide Residues in Cotton Stalk ... ... ... ... 273.8 A Model Cotton Stalk Supply Chain for a 20 TPD Particle

Board Plant ... ... ... ... 283.8.1 Storage ... ... ... ... 283.8.2 Chipping Stations ... ... ... ... 283.8.3 Supply of Cotton Stalk Chips ... ... ... ... 29

Chapter 4 : Discussion of Project Findings under Component 2 ... ... 314.1 Cotton Stalk Cleaning System ... ... ... ... 314.2 Briquetting Trials for Cotton Stalk Wastes ... ... ... ... 32

Chapter 5 : Discussion of Project Findings under Component 3 ... ... 335.1 The Pilot Plant ... ... ... ... 335.2 Trials in Board Making on the Pilot Plant ... ... ... ... 355.3 Material Balance ... ... ... ... 37

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5.4 R & D Trials on the Pilot Plant5.4.1 Blending with Mulberry Stalks & Bagasse ... ... ... 385.4.2 Melamine-coated Coloured Particle Boards ... ... ... 405.4.3 Filler Boards from Cotton Stalks ... ... ... ... 405.4.4 Particle Boards Using Chitosan as Binder ... ... ... 405.4.5 Resin-coated Boards ... ... ... ... 415.4.6 Impregnated Paper Laminated Boards ... ... ... ... 41

5.5 Commercial Trials ... ... ... ... 41Chapter 6 : Discussion of Project Findings under Component 4 ... ... 43

6.1 Binderless Boards (Hardboards) from Cotton Stalk ... ... ... 436.1.1 Standardisation of Process Conditions ... ... ... ... 436.1.2 Large Scale Trial for Binderless Boards ... ... ... ... 446.1.3 Use of Cotton Stalk in the Preparation of Soft Board ... ... 456.1.4 Blending of Cotton Stalk with Hardwood for Hardboard

Preparation ... ... ... ... 456.1.5 Overview of Cotton Stalk Hardboards ... ... ... ... 45

Chapter 7 : Discussion of Project Findings under Component 5 ... ... 477.1 Techno-economic Feasibility of Particle Board Plants ... ... ... 477.2 Cost Estimation for a Particle Board Plant of 10 TPD Capacity ... 477.3 Cost Estimation for a Particle Board Plant of 20 TPD ... ... ... 497.4 Conclusions from the Techno-economic Study ... ... ... 50

Chapter 8 : Discussion of Project Findings Under Component 6 ... ... 518.1 Importance of Publicity ... ... ... ... 518.2 Awareness Meetings and National & International Seminars ... 518.3 International Workshop on Utilization of Cotton Plant By-produce for

Value Added products ... ... ... ... 54Chapter 9 : Discussion of Project Findings under Component 7 ... ... 55

9.1 Project Coordination Committee ... ... ... ... 559.2 ICAR Review Team for Foreign Funded Projects ... ... ... 559.3 Monitoring at Institute Level ... ... ... ... 559.4 Evaluation by Mid-term Review Team ... ... ... ... 56

Chapter 10 : Highlights of Results and their Impact ... ... ... ... 5710.1 Major Achievements of the Project ... ... ... ... 5710.2 Benefit to Stakeholders ... ... ... ... 58

10.2.1 Additional Income for Farmers ... ... ... ... 5810.2.2 A New Raw Material for Composite Board Industry ... ... 5810.2.3 Avenues for Setting up of Rural Industry ... ... ... 5810.2.4 Employment Opportunities for Rural Youth ... ... ... 5810.2.5 Conservation of Forest Resources ... ... ... ... 58

10.3 Future Action Plan for Success of the Project ... ... ... ... 59References ... ... ... ... 60Annexure I : Highlights of International Workshop ... ... ... ... 62Annexure II : Composition of Project Coordination Committee ... ... ... 66Annexure III : Report of the Mid-term Review Team ... ... ... ... 67Annexure IV : Market Survey of Particle Boards and Hardboards ... ... ... 69

... ... ... ... 38

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Preface

The Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), Mumbai, initiated and has implemented a project entitled Utilisation of Cotton Plant By-produce for Value Added Products. The project that became operational in October 2004 was originally scheduled to be completed by September 2008. With the extension accorded by CFC, the project work concluded by the end of December 2009. In fact, the Project was a follow-up of earlier R & D endeavours of CIRCOT which had revealed the technical feasibility of using cotton stalk, hitherto regarded as almost a waste material, for manufacturing composite boards for which enormous market exists today in all countries of the world.

CIRCOT research, mostly done on a laboratory scale, was significant from two angles. On the one hand it seemed to promise the perennially poor cotton farmer an enhanced income from the sale of what could be called a waste material while on the other it offered hope for the board industry which has been combating raw material crunch following the ban on felling of trees and which relies now largely on sugarcane bagasse for its survival.

The CIROCT technologies for making particle board and hardboard from cotton stalk, despite their success at the laboratory level, were not readily accepted by the industry which seemed to harbour two apprehensions. Firstly, the technologies had not been put to pilot plant and industrial trials. The economic viability of the processes thus remained somewhat nebulous. Secondly, the collection of cotton stalks from vast cotton farms and processing them into ready-to-use chips are tasks for which the board industry is not equipped.

The present project was the outcome of CIRCOT's introspection and its eventual resolve to find remedies for the board industry's apprehensions referred to above. Technical and spiritual support from ICAC and copious funding from CFC enabled CIRCOT to conceptualise and execute a project whose final report is being presented to the readers. A broad profile of the project is furnished elsewhere in this report.

The technical programme of work under the project was divided among what have been st

referred to as 'Components' numbered 1 to 7. The 5-year project that commenced on 1 October, 2004 concluded by the end of December, 2009. CIRCOT was the PEA of the project while the executing personnel included 8 Scientists of this Institute. Three particle board manufacturing companies in the private sector were also participants in the project.The final report comprises ten Chapters and four Annexures besides an executive summary. The first Chapter provides a general introduction to the project discussing the importance of cotton by-products and CIRCOT's earlier researches on their utilization in composite board manufacture. Chapter 2 discusses the rationale of the project and the various technical components thereof. The project findings under each of the seven

thcomponents are presented in Chapters 3 to 9. The 10 Chapter highlights the major achievements of the project.

The CFC had appointed a Mid-term Review Team whose report is summarized in Annexure III. The actions taken on its recommendations are also highlighted in this Annexure. One of

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Preface

the recommendations of the Review Team was the conduct of a market survey for particle boards. The task was entrusted to M/s Mott Macdonald, Mumbai in June 2009. The most important findings of the survey are gathered in Annexure IV.

From the discussions under different Chapters in this report it would be seen that the PEA has fulfilled its promise in a convincing manner. The main objectives of establishing a supply chain model for cotton stalks and demonstrating the CIRCOT technologies to board manufacturers through pilot plant trials as well as large scale industrial trials have been fully realized. Techno-economic feasibility of particle board manufacture from cotton stalks has been established. The board industry seems to be now convinced about the potential of cotton stalk as an alternative raw material for particle boards.

It is hoped that existing board manufacturers will soon start using cotton stalk in place of hardwood and bagasse. The lessons learned from the project are expected to benefit board industries not only in India but in other cotton growing countries too. The beneficiaries will also include millions of farmers across the globe whose income could be bolstered by the sale of cotton stalk to the board industry. Rural employment generation, stoppage of migration of people to urban centres, environment preservation etc. are additional dividends likely. When all this happens, CIRCOT's dream of creating wealth out of waste could be said to have transformed into a veritable reality.

CFC/ICAC/20


Acknowledgements

The Project Executing Agency (PEA) acknowledges with thanks the financial and spiritual support received from the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), Netherlands and the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), Washington. Particularly mentionable are the contributions by Mr. Sietse van der Werff of CFC as well as Mr. Terry Townsend and Dr. Rafiq Chaudhry of ICAC in the formulation of the project and preparation of the activity components. Critical comments and constructive suggestions offered by them from time to time have helped maintain the tempo of project execution.

Project monitoring and discussions by ICAR officials including Director General, Deputy Director General (Engg), Asst. Director General (Engg) and Asst. Director General (PE) have been quite inspiring for the project scientists and have helped them retain high pace of progress in their work. The PEA gratefully acknowledges the support of all the ICAR officials.

The PEA was under the expert guidance of the Project Co-ordination Committee (PCC) which held annual meetings to monitor the progress of the project. The support and suggestions received from the members have greatly influenced decision making at crucial stages of the project work. The PEA is indebted to the members of PCC including ADG (PE) ICAR, Director, (CICR), Project Co-ordinator (Cotton), CMD, CCI, Director, DOCD, Director IPIRTI, Dr. R.P. Kachru, Former ADG (PE), ICAR, Mr. Suresh Kotak, President COTAAP Research Foundation, Mr. V.S. Raju, CMD, Ecoboard Industries Ltd. and Mr. V.S. Ramakrishnan, CMD, Homag India Ltd.

The project involved private party participation in the activity component relating to large-scale trials of board production. M/s. Ecoboard Industries Ltd., Pune, M/s. Jolly Board Ltd, Mumbai and M/s. Cotton Association of India, Mumbai have been the three organizations in this group. The PEA thanks these organizations for their whole-hearted cooperation.

Three other manufacturers also offered their support in conducting large-scale trials of particle boards and hardboards. They are M/s. Archid Ply Industries Ltd., Mysore, Godavari Particle Board Industries Ltd., Nanded and Western India Plywoods Ltd., Kannanur. The cooperation extended by these companies is also gratefully acknowledged.

The last but not the least is the service rendered by Dr. K.R.K. Iyer, Former Director, CIRCOT, in the preparation of the Final Report of the project. The PEA thanks Dr.Iyer for compiling the project findings and transcribing them into an eminently readable document.

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Acknowledgements

CFC/ICAC/20


Project Profile

1 Project Title : Utilisation of Cotton Plant By-produce for Value Added Products

2 Number : CFC/ICAC/20

3 Project Executing Agency (PEA) : Director, CIRCOT, Adenwala Road, Matunga, Mumbai 400 019India

4 Location : CIRCOT, Adenwala Road, Matunga,Mumbai 400 019, India

st5 Starting Date : 1 October, 2004

6 Completion date : 31 December 2009

7 Financing : CFC Financing (Loan/Grant) : USD 918,886.00Co-financing : NilCounterpart contribution : - US D 1,271,600.00

Funding Agency : CFC, Netherlands

Supervisory Body : ICAC, Washington

Project Personnel : Dr. R. H. Balasubramanya, Principal Scientist & Head, CBPD (PI)Dr. A. J. Shaikh, Principal Scientist & Head, TTD

Dr. K. M. Paralikar, Former Head, TTD, Retd. in June 2008 Mr. R. M. Gurjar, Principal ScientistDr. P. V. Varadarajan, Principal ScientistDr. P. G. Patil, Senior Scientist on lien from December, 2008Er. S. K. Shukla, Scientist Sr. ScaleEr. V. G. Arude, Scientist Sr. Scale

Private Party Participants :

1) M/s Ecoboard Industries Ltd., Pune2) M/s Jolly Board Ltd., Mumbai3) M/s Cotton Association of India (CAI), Mumbai

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Project Profile

CFC/ICAC/20


Executive Summary

This CFC/ICAC project relates to a multi-pronged R & D initiative intended to make the CIRCOT technologies of particle board and hardboard manufacture from cotton stalk acceptable to industry. Employing pilot plant trials for refining and fine-tuning the CIRCOT technologies initially developed on a laboratory scale, carrying out large scale production trials in existing particle board manufacturing plants and designing a supply chain model for cotton stalks have been the main thrusts in the technical programme under this project. All these tasks have been accomplished and it is hoped that the CIRCOT technology will soon find commercial adoption not only in India but also in all cotton growing countries of the world.

CIRCOT Researches on Cotton Stalk Utilisation

In most countries of the world, cotton farming brings only a meagre profit for the cultivator. High input costs, low productivity characteristic of rainfed farming and high incidence of pests and plant diseases are the main reasons for low farm income in India and other similar countries. It has been realized that the farmers income can be augmented if by-products and wastes generated in cotton cultivation are put to effective utilization.

CIRCOT had directed its research efforts towards developing technologies for making particle board and paper from cotton stalk which is largely considered as a waste material once the harvest is over. Preliminary studies had shown that cotton stalk has composition similar to that of the most common species of hardwood. The CIRCOT technology for particle board making comprises chipping of cotton stalks to appropriate mesh size (1.5-2 cm), mixing the chips with urea formaldehyde or phenol formaldehyde, preparation of 3-layered mat (coarser particles in the middle and finer ones on the top and bottom layers) and pressing the mat between heated platens of a hydraulic press. The boards thus made under standard conditions of resin concentration, pressure, temperature etc. are of acceptable quality meeting BIS specifications.

CIRCOT's hardboard technology employs cotton stalk chips for making thermo-mecha-nical pulp under appropriate temperature and pressure. The mat formed from the pulp is pressed by a 3-step pressure cycle to get hardboards which also meet BIS specification for quality. No external binder is used in this process. The lignin present in the cotton stalks acts as the binder. An alternative to thermo-mechanical pulp making is a biological softening technique also standardized at CIRCOT. In this technique pulp is formed by the action of microorganisms under specified conditions in a specially designed digester.

Project Rationale & Objectives

Although CIRCOT researches had established the potential of cotton stalks for use in particle board & hardboard manufacture many years ago, the industry was not coming forward to adopt the technologies as they were developed only on a laboratory scale. It was, therefore, necessary to carry out pilot scale trials and industrial trials to convince the particle board industry about the acceptability of cotton stalk as raw material. Equally important was the need to evolve a mechanism for collection and chipping of cotton stalks from the vast cotton fields and transportation of the chips to the particle board and hardboard plants and thus ensure uninterrupted supply of raw material. All these efforts would ultimately provide data for techno-economic evaluation of the CIRCOT technologies. The CFC/ICAC project was conceived with such objectives in view. The following were the seven components which spelt out the technical programme under the project :

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Executive Summary

Component 1: Analysis and optimization trials of required logistical (including organizational) arrangements for collection and transportation of cotton stalks from the field to the production units, including possible setting-up of pre-processing units at the field level

Component 2 : Trials for minimum and optimum levels of cleaning and pre-processing of cotton stalks into chips suitable for processing, at field level and at factory site;

Component 3: Pilot plant production of cotton stalks-based particle boardComponent 4: Utilisation of cotton stalks for the production of binderless boardsComponent 5 : Evaluation of technical/financial feasibility of the proposed processesComponent 6 : Dissemination of project results at national and international levelsComponent 7 : Project management, monitoring, supervision and evaluation

Project Findings under Component 1

The availability of cotton stalk in different States in India was assessed by means of questionnaires handed over to farmers in person at several centres. For uprooting cotton stalk, the use of a simple mechanical device was found to be convenient. For cleaning the stalks a machine was specially designed. The logistics of collection and transporting cotton stalks was worked out by employing bullock carts, tractor-trolleys and lorries. Chipping trials involved different types of machines. The study has led to the recommendation of a model for cotton stalk supply chain.

It has been confirmed that from 1 ha of rainfed farms, about 1.3 tonnes of cleaned cotton stalk chips can be obtained while irrigated farms will give as much as 5 tonnes per ha. For a 20 TPD cotton stalk particle board plant the catchment area will be about 6000 ha of rainfed farms. Ideally cotton stalk should be transported from cotton farms in bullock carts or tractor trolleys to the chipping centre situated not beyond 5 km from the farms. For chipping, a machine mounted on a 22 HP tractor to deliver 7-8 tonnes in 8 hours is found to be appropriate. Chipped material could then be transported to the particle board factory within 50 km in lorries each of which would accommodate about 6 tonnes. Appropriate industrial utilization of cotton stalk processed in this manner promises the cotton farmer an additional income of about Rs. 650 (US $ 13.0) per ha of rainfed farm and about Rs. 2500 (US $ 50.0) per ha of irrigated farm.


A cotton stalk cleaning system was designed as a part of the project activity. The machine removes boll rind, leaves, soil, fibres, etc. from cotton stalk. Trials showed that the machine is effective in removing unwanted plant parts and soil from the stalk and making it ready for chipping. The waste generated during cleaning of stalks, after reduction by chipping to 10 mesh size, has been shown to be good enough for making briquettes of standard quality.


A pilot plant for particle board incorporating all the technical features of a commercial plant was designed and set up at GTC, Nagpur. Several trials were made on the pilot plant for refining and fine-tuning the technology so that it becomes readily acceptable by particle board industries presently using other raw materials. The pilot plant is also useful as a demonstration tool to convince entrepreneurs about the merits of CIRCOT technology. After refinements, the technology was used in large scale production trials in three existing particle board manufacturing plants.

From the above trials it could be concluded that the CIRCOT technology can be applied in commercial production of particle boards without any further modifications. The boards made in all

CFC/ICAC/20


the three factories were found to be of good quality meeting BIS specifications in respect of tensile strength, modulus of rupture and water absorption properties. Blending trials showed that cotton stalk blends well with bagasse and mulberry stalks to produce particle boards of standard quality characteristics.


CIRCOT technology for making binderless boards involves pulping of cotton stalks by steaming the 2

stalk chips under a pressure of 15 kg/cm for 2 min in what is known as a thermo-mechanical pulper. The pulp thus obtained is made into a mat and the latter pressed between heated platens of a

0hydraulic press. A 3-step pressure cycle at a temperature of 160 C would result in the formation of a hardboard of acceptable quality.

The method standardized on a laboratory scale was applied to large scale trials in an existing hardboard manufacturing plant. Cotton stalk pulp, alone as well as in blend with bagasse pulp in 50-50 ratio, was used for making binderless boards of about 2.5 mm thickness. The board thus made had quality characteristics (MOR and water absorption) meeting BIS specifications. It was also ascertained that addition of cotton stalk to the extent of 10% with hardwood gives boards with quality no different from that of 100% hardwood boards. It is recommended that existing plants manufacturing binderless boards from hardwood and bagasse can use cotton stalk as an additional raw material.


Technical feasibility of particle board manufacture from cotton stalk was worked out on the basis of data from industrial trials conducted in one particle board factory in Pune and another in Mysore. Cost estimations for 10 TPD and 20 TPD plants were also done . A 10 TPD plant involving a capital investment of Rs. 58 million (US $ 1.16 million) is shown to command a profitability of about 20% if cotton stalk is used as the raw material. A plant with a higher capacity of 20 TPD would bring higher returns of up to 33%.

The economic viability of cotton stalk as raw material for particle board manufacture was ascertained through a 30 tonne trial in an existing factory presently using bagasse. Substantial differences between production cost and selling price of cotton stalk boards of 9 mm and 18 mm thicknesses entailing a profitablity of about 25% have been worked out. This trial thus showed that factories currently using bagasse can employ cotton stalk as an additional alternative raw material for board manufacture.


Recognising the fact that publicity is vital for the successful transfer of a new technology especially when it employs an unconventional raw material like cotton stalk, CIRCOT conducted several awareness meetings in different centres in India. These meetings were intended to sensitize farmers on the potential of cotton stalks in making composite boards and thus encourage them to organize collection and chipping of stalks, a task of crucial importance in the successful transfer of CIRCOT technology. It was equally important to convince entrepreneurs and owners of already existing particle board factories about the viability of CIRCOT technologies for the manufacture of boards from cotton stalk.

Besides organizing seminars and awareness meetings, CIRCOT scientists have presented technical papers in national and international fora discussing the new technologies and the findings of the CFC/ICAC project. The advantages of using cotton stalk, including the economic, social and

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Executive Summary

environmental benefits that CIRCOT technologies can fetch, have been emphasized in these papers.

Thanks to the extensive use of publicity instruments, the technologies for cotton stalk utilization are becoming popular. Sooner or later, 10 TPD and 20 TPD composite board factories are most likely to be set up in different centres in the country. Existing factories manufacturing boards from other materials like hardwood and bagasse are also likely to start using cotton stalk as an alternative/additional raw material.


The Project Co-ordination Committee constituted by the PEA comprising an eclectic group of scientists, industrialists and administrators, with CIRCOT Director as the Chairman held periodic meetings to review the progress of project and to provide guidance and advice in technical and management matters. Other monitoring bodies included ICAR's Review Team for Foreign Aided Projects, Institute Research Council of CIRCOT and the CFC-appointed Mid-Term Review Team.

Conclusions :

A supply chain model comprising collection, cleaning and chipping of cotton stalks and their transportation to board manufacturing factories has been evolved. Pilot plant trials and large scale industrial trials have been conducted for making particle board and hardboard from cotton stalk. The techno-economic feasibility of manufacturing boards from cotton stalk has been demonstrated to board industry which is now convinced about its potential. In the not-very-distant future, many particle board manufacturers are likely to start using cotton stalk as an alternative raw material in place of sugarcane bagasse and hardwood. Once the industrial use of this agrowaste picks up, the farmer would be able to earn additional income from the sale of cotton stalk to the particle board manufacturers. Growth of industrial activity, rural employment generation and conservation of forest resources are other national benefits that are bound to follow.

CFC/ICAC/20


FINAL REPORT

Abbreviations and Acronyms Used in the Final Report

Abbreviations and Acronyms Used in the Final Report

AOAC : Association of Official Analytical Chemists

BIS : Bureau of Indian Standards

CAI : Cotton Association of India

CBPD : Chemical & Biochemical Processing Division

CCI : The Cotton Corporation of India Ltd

CFC : Common Fund for Commodities

CIRCOT: Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology

COTAAP : Cotton and Allied Products

DARE : Department of Agricultural Research and Education

DDG : Deputy Director General

DOCD : Directorate of Cotton Development

ECD : Electron Capture Detector

GTC : Ginning Training Centre

ICAC : International Cotton Advisory Committee

ICAR : Indian Council of Agricultural Research

IPIRTI : Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training Institute

IS : Indian Standard

MDF : Medium Density Fibreboard

MOR : Modulus of Rupture

MPKV : Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (Agricultural University)

MS : Mass Spectrometer

NGO : Non Governmental Organisation

NIRJAFT : National Institute for Research on Jute and Allied Fibre Technology

PCC : Project Co-ordination Committee

PEA : Project Executive Agency

PI: Principal Investigator

PPB : Parts per Billion

R & D : Research and Development

SPRERI : Saradar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute

TPD : Tonnes per Day

TTD : Technology Transfer Division

UF : Urea Formaldehyde

CFC/ICAC/20


Chapter 1

CIRCOT Researches on Cotton Stalk Utilization

The project entitled Utilization of Cotton Plant By-produce for Value Added Products sponsored by CFC and ICAC has been executed by CIRCOT. With this accomplishment, CIRCOT has demonstrated to the board industry that the processes for making particle board and hardboard from cotton stalk developed by this institute are of proven techno-economic feasibility and are ready for commercial adoption. Viewed from two angles, these technologies are of immense contemporary interest. First, they promise succour to the board industry facing severe raw material crunch due to depleting forest resources and spiralling cost of bagasse which is the only material so far used as alternative to natural wood. Secondly, the CIRCOT technologies would help augment farm income through sale of stalks to the board industry.

Environmental concerns have, in recent years stimulated researches in the exploitation of renewable resources. Such researches make better economic sense when they relate to utilization of waste materials like cotton stalk. With its vast area under cotton cultivation, India is undoubtedly the largest producer of cotton stalk among world countries and stands to benefit immensely from commercial exploitation of this putative agrowaste. Profiled in this chapter is CIRCOT's saga of R & D efforts that have revealed the economic potential of cotton plant biomass abundant in many Afro-Asian countries.

1.1 Cotton Cultivation

King cotton rules the world of textiles despite inroads made by synthetic fibres. The economy of about 90 cotton growing counties is greatly influenced by cotton. Cultivated in over 30 million ha, the annual world cotton production is about 22 million tonnes constituting 36% of the total fibre production and consumption.

In recent years, India has emerged as the second largest producer of cotton next to China. The cotton production in 2009-10 in India stands at 5.1 million tonnes as against China's 6.8 million tonnes (Fig. 1). Other major producers are USA, Pakistan, Brazil, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Australia, Turkmenistan, Greece, Syria and Egypt.

Fig. 1 : Cotton Production during 2009-10 (MT)

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In area under cotton cultivation, India tops the world list (10.1 Mha) with China (5.4 Mha) and USA (3.1 Mha) closely following (Fig. 2). In productivity, however, India lags behind most other countries though in recent years, there has been substantial improvement (Fig. 3 & 4).

Fig. 2 : Area Covered by Cotton during 2009-10 (Mha)

Fig. 3 : Yield Levels Attained in Major Cotton Producing Countries during 2009-10 (Kg/ha)

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Fig. 4 : Production & Productivity of Cotton in India in Recent Years

1.1.1 Distribution of Cotton

Two leading cotton growing States in India are Gujarat and Maharashtra which respectively account for 26% and 35% of total area under cotton in the country (Table 1). The average yield is much higher in Gujarat than in Maharashtra on account of better irrigation in the former. These two States together contribute over 50% of India's cotton crop.

Table 1 : Cotton Crop in Different States in India (2009-10)

State Area Production Productivity (Mha) (thousand (kg/ha)

tonnes)

Punjab 0.536 272 507

Haryana 0.520 221 425

Rajasthan 0.444 170 382

Gujarat 2.624 1615 615

Maharashtra 3.503 1139 325

Madhya Pradesh 0.646 306 474

Andhra Pradesh 1.319 816 619

Karnataka 0.395 153 383

Tamil Nadu 0.087 85 977

Others 0.078 34 436

Loose Lint - 204 -

Total 10.152 5015 494

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1.1.2 Cropping Season

In the northern States of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan which are largely irrigated, cotton is harvested in the two months of October & November. Farmers in these areas cut away cotton plants even if some green bolls are still left, so as to clear the land early for the ensuing wheat crop. Stalks are removed in about a month's time. In other regions, which are mostly rainfed, harvesting of cotton takes place from October to February. Cotton stalks are uprooted from around February-March and the process goes on till May-June since there is no pressure to vacate the field for any other crop.

1.1.3 Low Income from Cotton Farming

Relatively low yield in rainfed areas has rendered cotton farming somewhat unremunerative in India. Most farmers are unable to make a living out of cotton cultivation. Ways and means to increase the returns from cotton farming, therefore, need to be explored.

1.1.4 Exploitation of By-products

Cotton fibre that commands a high price constitutes only about 1/3 of the weight of seed- cotton. The ginned seed which is a by-product of cotton and which forms the major part of harvested cotton ironically fetches only a small price as its sub-constituents have not been fully utilized. So is the case with the second by-product of cotton cultivation namely the cotton stalk, which is considered to be of little commercial value. Exploitation of the by-products of cotton opens up scope for R & D efforts and industrial activity that can contribute to strengthening the cotton economy in a significant way. (See Flow-chart)

1.2 CIRCOT Researches on By-product Utilisation

The diverse products available from cotton crop after the harvest of seed-cotton and

ginning include seed, linters, hulls, oil and meal which are classified under the broad head

by-produce. Cotton stalk is the other biomass available in the field after the harvest of

seed-cotton. In general, there is lack of focus on judicious utilisation of cotton by-produce

not only in India but also in all the Afro-Asian countries whose economies are influenced by

cotton. The bulk of cotton seed is subjected to what is known as whole seed crushing for

extraction of oil and cotton stalks are disposed of by burning in the field itself as otherwise 1

they would harbour several insects and pests which would be harmful for the future crop . A

small fraction of seeds is consumed as cattle feed while some of the stalks is used as

domestic fuel. In whole seed crushing, valuable components like linters, hulls, protein and

large fractions of oil go unutilised instead of fetching the much-needed additional returns to

farmers. Equally unacceptable is the burning off of cotton stalks that have in recent years

proved to be of immense economic potential.

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Cotton Crop

Harvest

Seed Cotton

Stalks

Ginning

Processes

Spinnable Lint

Cotton Dust

Cottonseed

Boards

Paper & Pulp

Mushrooms

Processes

Hulls

Oil

Meal

Linters

Processing in Textile Mill

Fibre Waste

Willow Machine

Recoverable Good Fibre Willow Dust

Yarn

Weaving/Knitting

Fabric

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The Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT), Mumbai has directed

its R & D efforts in the last two decades to evolving ways and means to utilize the by-

products of cotton crop in various industrial processes and thus bring about value addition.

Presented below is a broad outline of CIRCOT's research on the varied uses of cotton

stalks demonstrating the latent economic value of what is dismissed generally as a waste 2

material .

1.2.1 Cotton Stalk

It is estimated that about 25 million tonnes of cotton stalk is generated in India every year. Most of the stalk produced is treated as waste though a part of it is used as fuel by rural masses. The bulk of the stalk is burnt off in the field after the harvest of the cotton crop as pointed out earlier. Cotton stalk contains about 69% holocellulose, 27% lignin and 7% ash (Table 2).

Table 2 : Chemical Composition of Cotton Stalks

Species Holo-Cellulose(%) Lignin (%) Ash (%)

G.arboreum 67.3 25.8 7.0

G. herbaceum 69.1 28.1 8.3

G. hirsutum 70.0 27.1 6.7

G.barbadense 69.2 28.2 8.1

Desi Hybrids 67.3 27.6 6.8

Hirsutum Hybrids 68.6 24.3 5.9

Mean Value 69.1 27.0 7.1

Range of Values 67.3 to 70.0 24.3 to 28.2 5.9 to 8.3

Desi: Indian description for Asiatic Cottons belonging to G.arboreum and G.herbaceum

In contrast to other agricultural crop residues, cotton stalk is comparable to the most 3

common species of hardwood in respect of fibrous structure and hence it can be used for the manufacture of particle boards, preparation of pulp and paper, hard boards, corrugated boards & boxes, microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose derivatives and as substrate for growing edible mushrooms.

1.2.1.1 Particle Boards from Cotton Stalk

What are Particle Boards?

Particle board is a panel made by compressing small particles of wood while simultaneously bonding them with an adhesive. The various types of particle boards differ greatly in regard to the size and geometry of the particles, the amount of resin (adhesive) used, and the density to which the panel is pressed. The properties and potential uses of boards differ with these variables.

6 CFC/ICAC/20


The technology for making particle board was developed during the second world war, primarily to meet the acute shortage of timber. In an age of dwindling forest resources, the use of reconstituted wood gains considerable importance. It is reported that in Western Europe, particle board has replaced wood in wide ranging applications. The world production of particle board is estimated to be around 40 million cubic metres and the share of India in this works out to a meagre 0.06 percent.

The major types of substances used for preparation of boards are :

Pieces of wood (wood particles or chips) chopped from a block by a large knife or hammer or by a pulpwood chipper

Chips from cotton stalk and other similar fibrous materialsSugarcane bagasse BambooRice husk

At present, boards are mainly made from wood particles. The increase in demand for sawn wood and panel materials in the country cannot be met from the existing forest resources. The regeneration of forest takes considerable time and therefore it is unlikely that forests alone would provide the raw materials required by the board industries.

Technology of Particle Board Manufacture

As mentioned earlier, particle board is manufactured out of dry wood particles (chips), which are coated with a synthetic resin binder and formed into flat sheets or mats. Heat is applied with the pressure, for curing of the resin binder. Urea formaldehyde (UF) is the resin used in boards for interior applications and phenol formaldehyde is used in boards for exterior uses. Bitumen is also used for certain specific applications. Particle board may have a homogeneous structure throughout its thickness or, it could be of a sandwitched construction, with coarser grains in the middle and finer ones on both sides. Boards are manufactured in different thicknesses and forms, such as plain, veneered or laminated.

In all developing countries, particle boards have succeeded to a great extent in meeting the shortage of sawn timber and plywood. The world trend in wood-based panel industries is to produce more of particle boards in order to minimize the use of the scarce wood resources. In India, the particle board industry has not been a great success because the European technology was imported without ascertaining its suitability for adoption. The installed capacity of particle board industry is about 85000 tonnes per day (TPD) but its utilisation is only about 41000 TPD. Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Institute (IPIRTI) has reported that particle board industry can succeed in India only when boards suitable for the prevailing tropical environment are produced.

CIRCOT Technology for Particle Boards from Cotton Stalk

Research work on the preparation of particle boards in CIRCOT dates back to 1979-80 4

when cotton stalk chips were used for the first time . Detailed studies have since been made to arrive at the appropriate process sequence and to identify process parameters

FINAL REPORT 7


5,6that would ensure the required qualities for the particle board . The CIRCOT process involves the following steps :

?Chipping of stalks to 1.5 - 2.0 cm size;?Rechipping to particles of 20 mesh size and 8 mesh size;?Mixing of chips with synthetic binder such as urea formaldehyde or phenol

formaldehyde; ?Preparation of a three-layered mat comprising coarser particles for the core

layer and finer ones for the top and bottom layers; ?Pressing the mat between heated platens of a hydraulic press for specific time

and pressure.

The board thus made is cooled to attain dimensional stability and then cut to the desired size. By using different chemicals and additives, the boards can be made water proof, fire proof, termite resistant, etc. These boards have been found to meet BIS specifications in respect of quality characteristics. Due to the lower cost of raw material and reduced power required for its conversion into finished product, the cost of particle board made from cotton stalk will be much lower than that of boards made from wood.

Table 3 : Properties of Three-Layered Particle Boards from Cotton Stalk

Sl. Properties Unit Flat Pressed Three-layer/ No. Multilayer Particle Board Stalk

IS 3087-1985 Particle Type Type II Board

31. Density kg/m 500-900 --- 750

2. Average Moisture % 5-15 --- 11Content

3 Water Absorption %I) 2 h soaking 10 40 20Ii) 24 h soaking 20 80 40

4 SwellingThickness % 8 12 9

5 Swelling due to surface % 6 9 6Absorption

26 Modulus of Rupture (MOR) N/mm

i) Up to 20 mm 15.0 11.0 17.6ii) Above 20 mm 12.5 11.0 -

27 Internal bond strength N/mm

i) Upto 20 mm thickness 0.45 0.3 0.51ii) Above 20 mm 0.40 0.3 -

8 Screw withdrawal strength NFace 1250 1250 1400Edge 850 700 860

9 Nail withdrawal strength N 1250 --- 1300

Cotton

8 CFC/ICAC/20


The data presented in Table 3 clearly show that the particle boards from cotton stalks

possess all the desirable properties to be used for internal as well as external applications

such as false ceiling, partitioning, paneling, etc.

Process Parameters and Product Quality

Increase in resin content results in improvement of product performance. Density of boards

and modulus of rupture are found to increase while water absorption and surface swelling

show progressive decline as the resin content is increased. Data in Table 4 demonstrate

that by altering the process variables, it is possible to get particle boards of any desired

quality.

Table 4 : Properties of Particle Boards from Cotton Stalks with Urea

Formaldehyde as Binder

Resin Thickness Density Modulus of Water Swelling due to3

Content (mm) (kg/m ) Rupture Absorption Surface Absorption2

(%) (N/mm ) (%) (%)

0 7.1 700 6.1 77 28

3 7.4 720 7.4 57 22

5 7.6 760 9.3 42 18

8 8.0 780 12.4 33 12

10 8.2 820 13.3 31 10

12 8.4 840 13.9 28 9

13.5 8.5 840 17.4 25 8

15 8.9 880 18.6 22 6

2 0Pressure: 35 kg/cm ; Temp: 165 C; Time: 4.5 min

Uses of Particle Boards

The applications of particle boards are many. The application areas identified include door

panel inserts, partitions, wall panels, pelmets, furniture items, floor and ceiling tiles, etc. for

residential houses, commercial buildings, schools, hotels, theatres, etc. In recent years,

particle board is being used increasingly in place of commercial plywood in the preparation

of printer blocks.

In all the above applications, substitute materials for particle boards are timber, commercial

plywood, marine plywood and block board in general and for false ceilings in place of

plaster of Paris. The advantages of particle board are many :

?It is free from natural defects of wood, like tendency for warping.

?It is easier to fix. For instance, the factory-made panel doors from particle board are

FINAL REPORT 9


available in a ready-to-fix form. Similarly, for wall panelling, false ceilings, table tops,

etc., pre-laminated or pre-veneered particle boards can be used with advantage.

?It is cheaper than substitute materials.

?With proper protective surface coating and edge covering, particle board can be

made termite proof and fire resistant. It can take a variety of surface finishes, like

laminations, veneers, paint, varnish, polish, etc. Attractive wall paper can also be

used as surface finish for particle boards.

Researches Elsewhere on Particle Boards from Cotton Stalk

Isolated researches on particle boards from plant residues have been reported from 7-12

different centres in India and abroad in the last few decades . Given below are a few highlights :

7?In 1984, Mahanta attempted to make particle boards from cotton stalk .

?The potential of cotton stalks as raw material for manufacturing particle boards was demonstrated by Regional Research Laboratory, Jammu in 1995. Single

9layer boards alone were attempted .

10 11?Forest Research Institute at Dehradun and NIRJAFT, Kolkata have done

extensive research on the utilization of many crop residues like rice straw wheat straw, jute sticks etc. for making particle boards. Cotton stalk, however, was not one of them.

?M/s Bison System Werke* have tested various materials such as bagasse, flax, cotton stalk and wood particles, and confirmed their suitability for particle board production. Boards from cotton stalk were reported to show higher water absorption than other boards, but no remedy seems to have been attempted.

The researches involving cotton stalks referred to above have been perfunctory attempts to demonstrate the possibility of using cotton plant residue for board preparation. No efforts seem to have been made for standardizing the process conditions and derive boards of acceptable quality levels. It was only at CIRCOT where detailed studies were conducted whereby the technology could be developed and fine-tuned for adoption by industry.

1.2.1.2 Hardboards from Cotton Stalk

Hardboard and fibre board are general terms used to include boards or sheet materials 3

having density greater than 0.4 g/cm . Hardboard can be defined as a sheet of material manufactured from wood or other lignocellulosic materials with the primary bond strength derived from the inherent adhesive property of the fibres and the hydrogen bonding of the cellulose molecules. Chemical additives may be included during manufacture to increase strength, resistance to moisture, fire resistance and other properties of the product.

13Presently, hardboards are manufactured from hardwood .

14A process has been standardised at CIRCOT to prepare hardboards from cotton stalks. The process comprises the following steps:

10 CFC/ICAC/20


* From company publication : Annual Plants as Raw Materials for Particle Board Production.

?Chipping of cotton plant stalks ?Conversion of chips into thermo-mechanical pulp under high temperature and

pressure in a thermo-mechanical pulper ?Mat formation ?Pressing of mat in a hydraulic press by a three-step pressure cycle to get

hardboards.

An alternative to the above mentioned thermo-mechanical pulp making has been recently 15

developed at CIRCOT . In this novel, inexpensive method, cotton stalks are softened by an anaerobic microbial treatment at room temperature. This process can render the use of high pressure and temperature quite unnecessary while converting cotton stalks into pulp. However, there is need to refine the technology at the pilot plant level for confirming techno-economic feasibility before commercial application is contemplated.

The boards thus made are subjected to a tempering process using cashewnut shell liquid or linseed oil. The process involves dipping of hardboards in oil for a specific period and

0then drying in an oven at 150 C for different periods depending upon the end use. The hardboards possess strength and water resistant properties almost meeting BIS

14specifications (Table 5) .

Table 5 : Properties of Hardboards Made by CIRCOT Process

Properties Cotton Stalk Hardboard by BIS Specification

CIRCOT process for Hardboards

Thickness (mm) 6.0 3-8

Density (g/cc) 1.0 0.8-1.22

Bending Strength (kg/cm ) 340 300

Water Absorption (%) 50 402

Tensile Strength (kg/cm ) 68.0 -----

BIS : Bureau of Indian Standards

The process of hardboard making is eco-friendly as no chemicals are used either in pulping or at the blending stage. It is the lignin present in the raw material that acts as the binder. The boards find application in furniture making, room partitioning, paneling, false ceiling etc.

Researches Elsewhere on Hardboards from Cotton Stalk

Very few attempts seem to have been made in the past for making hardboards from cotton stalks. The following reports appear to be worth noting.

?Cellulose Research Laboratory, Cairo has reported that by blending with cotton stalk the strength properties of hardboards from rice straw could be significantly

16increased .

FINAL REPORT 11


?The same Laboratory at Cairo has attempted further hardening of hardboards from cotton stalk by using phenol formaldehyde and certain additives to derive excellent

17strength properties .

It is significant to note that the technologies referred to above were based on combinations

of wet and dry processes using external binders. CIRCOT researches, on the other hand,

have placed stress on wet processes without the use of external binders.

1.2.1.3 Other Uses of Cotton Stalk

CIRCOT researches have generated some more technologies that utilize cotton stalks as the raw material. Since these technologies are not relevant to the project under discussion, details are not being furnished. Nevertheless for the sake of completeness a list of such technologies is given below :

18-21?Production of pulp and paper from cotton stalk;

15?Biological softening of cotton stalk prior to pulping;

22,23?Growing mushrooms with cotton stalk as substrate;

14?Preparation of microcrystalline cellulose from cotton stalk pulp.

12 CFC/ICAC/20


Chapter 2

Introduction to the Project

It has been pointed out in the last Chapter that yield levels in most rainfed segments of India's vast cotton tracts are very low as compared to those in many other countries. Although some progress was made in recent years, the country's average yield has always remained far below the world average. Most farmers are unable to make a reasonable living out of cotton cultivation. The un-remunerative nature of cotton farming has the potential to drive millions of small farmers to switch over to other crops leading to a possible decline in cotton production and compelling the textile industry to rely increasingly on imported cotton. Seized with such concerns, CIRCOT trained its research efforts on the utilization of by-products of cotton which have the potential to not only open up new vistas for industrial activity but also bring additional income for the farmer whose interest in cotton farming would thus stay undiminished.

2.1 R & D in By-product Utilization at CIRCOT

Research teams at CIRCOT have in the last few decades, been engaged in extensive study on the utilization of cotton by-products such as cottonseed oil, linters, seed hull, oil cake, cotton stalk, etc. and have been able to gather voluminous basic information on these components and develop processes for the industrial exploitation of some of them. Notable among these are a range of physico-chemical and bio-chemical processes for the utilization of cotton stalk for applications such as composite board manufacture and pulp & paper making.

Benefits from Cotton Stalk Utilization

Besides fetching additional income for the farmer, the utilization of cotton stalks is beneficial in certain other respects too. Removal of stalks from the farm can avert carryover of pests likely to be hibernating in immature and unpicked bolls left in the plant. Collecting cotton stalks from the fields and reaching them to factories for the their utilization will generate rural employment. Further, the use of cotton stalk for making board and paper will also have a beneficial impact on the environment inasmuch as it would reduce the need for wood, thereby contributing to the deceleration of the insidious process of deforestation.

2.2 Rationale for the Project and Objectives

As discussed earlier CIRCOT researches in the last many years have amply demonstrated the potential of cotton stalks for use in the manufacture of particle boards and hardboards. The processes thus developed on a laboratory scale, however, needed fine-tuning on an experimental plant, to be followed by scale-up trials in an established board manufacturing industry. It was also necessary to devise an economic mechanism for the collection and delivery of cotton stalks from vast cotton growing areas to the board manufacturing units. Moreover, techno-economic feasibility of CIRCOT technologies was required to be confirmed through large-scale trials in existing production units before placing them on the

FINAL REPORT 13


anvil for commercial exploitation. The CFC/ICAC project was conceived, therefore, with the following broad objectives:

Detailed study of the logistics of cotton stalks collection and transportation, including pre-processing of the material;

Setting up of pilot plant for production of particle boards and hardboards;Refinement of process to ensure high quality of boards and to facilitate

adaptation of the technology by industry;Techno-economic data evaluation in respect of CIRCOT technologies using

pilot plant trials as well as through large-scale trials in board manufacturing units;

Dissemination of information.

The above objectives have been made to reflect fully in the first six out of the seven components that constituted the technical programme of the 5-year CFC/ICAC project. Listed below are the project components followed by a brief description of the activities that were taken up under each component.

2.3 Description of Project Components

Component 1 : Analysis and optimization trials of required logistical (including

organizational) arrangements for collection and transportation of

cotton stalks from the field to the production units, including

possible setting-up of pre-processing units at the field level

Cotton is a seasonal crop harvested in India from October to February. Cotton stalks which are available only between December and May will require storage over several months to ensure adequate raw material supplies to board manufacturers for the entire year's production.

Cotton stalks are bushy in nature and have very low bulk density. Collection and transportation are, therefore, expensive. Further, on storage in stick form, cotton stalks get degraded by insect attack. Success of cotton stalks as an industrial raw material would depend on the establishment of a sustainable supply chain to reach them to the industry.

stThe activity under the 1 component in the project was, therefore, to evolve a proper methodology for collecting, processing and transporting cotton stalks either to centralised chipping units or directly to the board industry. Different models were proposed to be tried and the most efficient and economical model identified for adoption.

Component 2 : Trials for minimum and optimum levels of cleaning and pre-processing of cotton stalks into chips suitable for processing, at field level and at factory site

Dry cotton stalks contain a large proportion of undesirable materials such as bark, boll rinds, leaf bits, cotton lint, dust, etc., that cause processing problems and tarnish product quality. Bark which constitutes about 25-30% of the weight of cotton stalk contains cellulose

14 CFC/ICAC/20


and lignin, and is quite fibrous in nature. Though strongly attached to the stem, much of the bark gets separated during chipping. Bark leaves dark spots on the board and increases its moisture content besides choking the sieves and causing pulping problems.

Pesticide residues constitute another class of unwanted substances in cotton stalks. If present in cotton stalks, pesticide traces may appear in effluents and finished products besides being a health hazard for workers. Stalks have to be, therefore, evaluated for the presence of pesticides and remedial measures, if necessary, would have to be devised.

The aim of the second component of the project was to develop proper cleaning and screening mechanisms to remove all undesirable and harmful components from stalks so that clean, ready-to-use material is made available to the board industry. Setting up of a chipping-cum-cleaning system and standardizing the procedure were to be the main thrusts under this component.

Component 3 : Pilot plant production of cotton stalks-based particle board

CIRCOT's particle board technology, developed as it was on a laboratory scale, needed fine-tuning and trials on a pilot plant. This component in the project, therefore, included setting up of a pilot plant and identifying the process parameters for optimal operational efficiency with respect to energy consumption, productivity and product quality. Industrial trials also were to be performed to confirm the values thus arrived at from pilot plant study and to assess the cost competitiveness of cotton stalk boards.

Component 4 : Utilization of cotton stalks for the production of binderless fibre boards

Processes developed at CIRCOT for making binderless boards on a laboratory scale using thermo-mechanical pulp from cotton stalk needed refinement to make it cost effective when used in commercial production. More trials on a laboratory scale as well as fresh trials on a large scale in an existing hardboard plant were required to be performed for working out the economic viability of the hardboard technology. These activities constituted the agenda under the fourth component in the project.

Component 5 : Evaluation of technical/financial feasibility of the proposed process

This component of project activity included collection of data on production economics so as to establish the economic viability of the particle board technology under Indian conditions. Raw material cost, logistics of collection, transportation and storage of cotton stalk, cost of production of particle board, etc were to be considered while working out the technical and economic viability.

Component 6 : Dissemination of project results at national and international level

Adoption of CIRCOT technologies by the board industry and the acceptance of products by the domestic market can be ensured only through effective linkages. Industrial level trials

FINAL REPORT 15


conducted in a big way will promote speedy adoption of the technologies. Workshops, promotional brochures, scientific papers, popular articles etc. will serve as tools for effective publicity. All these activities formed parts of this component.

Component 7 : Project management, monitoring, supervision and evaluation

The overall responsibility for project management was to be retained by CIRCOT in its capacity as the Project Executive Agency (PEA). The PEA would prepare annual work programme, budget and periodic progress reports.

A Project Coordination Committee comprising external scientists and experts from industry was to review the progress of the project every six months and make suggestions if any. Mid-term review by expert panel appointed by CFC after 2 years and final evaluation after completion of the project were also included as important activities under the seventh and last component of the project.

16 CFC/ICAC/20


Chapter 3

Discussion of Project Findings under Component 1

Component 1: Analysis and optimization trials of required logistical (including

organizational) arrangements for collection and transportation of

cotton stalks from the field to the production units, including

possible setting up of pre-processing units at the field level

3.1 Estimation of Availability of Cotton Stalk

The first task was to estimate the availability of cotton stalk in different regions of the country for which a survey was conducted. The survey appeared necessary because cotton stalk available per hectare depends on the variety, plant type, growing conditions (rainfed or irrigated), soil type and agroclimatic factors.

Questionnaires were prepared in English, Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati and Kannada (local Indian languages) and data collected by deputing persons to different villages in the northern States of Haryana and Punjab, central States of Maharashtra and Gujarat and around Dharwad in the southern State of Karnataka. Farmers were selected at random in all the centres for the purpose of data collection. The data showed that the stalks obtainable in the North under irrigated conditions range from 4 to 5 tonnes/ha. In Gujarat, where cotton is grown both under rainfed and irrigated conditions, the yield of stalks varied from 2 to 3 tonnes/ha. In Maharashtra, where cotton crop is grown mostly under rainfed conditions, stalks yield was as low as 1 to 1.5 tonnes per ha. The stalks yield from Karnataka ranged from 1 to 2.5 tonnes/ha in case of rainfed crop and up to 4 tonnes/ha from irrigated fields. The data clearly showed that the yield of cotton stalks from Maharashtra is the lowest. It was also noted that cotton type (variety/hybrid) plays a very important role besides conditions of growth. The information on State-wise availability of cotton stalks is given in Table 6.

The survey revealed that in the North, the major part of cotton stalks is used as domestic fuel. However, farmers were ready to part with at least 50% the cotton stalk available with them for a payment of Rs. 400 to 500 (US $ 8 to 10 ) per tonne. In Gujarat the stalks are mostly burnt in the field itself. In Maharashtra, though farmers are using the stalks as household fuel, they were willing to sell it for as low as Rs. 300 (US $ 6) to as high as Rs. 500 (US $ 10) per tonne. In Karnataka, the survey showed that most of the farmers use cotton stalk as fuel. Some of them exchange the stalks for farm yard manure. They expressed their willingness to sell the stalks for a price of Rs. 500 (US $ 10) per tonne.

FINAL REPORT 17

Discussions of Project findings under Component 1

Table 6 : Availability of Cotton Plant Stalks in India (2008-09)

State Area Availability of Stalks

(million ha) (million tonnes)

1 Gujarat 2.39 7.17

2 Maharashtra 3.12 6.24

3 Andhra Pradesh 0.96 2.40

4 Madhya Pradesh 0.63 1.60

5 Punjab 0.59 2.95

6 Haryana 0.53 1.76

7 Karnataka 0.37 1.26

8 Rajasthan 0.35 0.74

9 Tamil Nadu 0.13 0.70

10 Orissa 0.06 0.27

11 Others 0.04 0.19

Total 9.17 25.28

3.2 Collection and Cleaning of Cotton Stalk

The entire cost economics of board manufacturing technology and the acceptance of cotton stalk by industry will depend to a large extent on the cost of raw material in a readily usable form made available at the factory gate. Therefore, the logistics of economic collection of cotton stalks, chipping and transportation from field to industry, and its proper storage in different forms at various centres are crucial factors that decide the economic viability of this raw material.

Trials were conducted in three successive seasons to arrive at the most economic mode of cotton stalk collection in and around Nagpur where the crop is raised under rainfed conditions. In this region after the picking of seed cotton, the stalks are not cleared from the field immediately since there is no subsequent crop. The study started right from the stage of sensitizing farmers about the utility of cotton plant stalks.

It is comparatively easier to uproot the stalks immediately after the picking is over since the moisture still present in the soil facilitates uprooting. A metallic device available locally helped in uprooting the stalks effortlessly as compared to manual pulling. It has been observed that as many as 7-8 labourers could clear the stalk from one hectare of land in a day of 8 hours. Although there was no significant difference between manual pulling and uprooting with the help of the mechanical device in respect of speed, the drudgery involved

18 CFC/ICAC/20


in bending and pulling with hands could be avoided in the latter case. In view of this, the simple mechanical device is recommended for uprooting the stalks. The stalks thus collected should be left for 4 to 5 days in the sun during which time, the leaves are shed. The boll rinds can be removed by gently beating the stalks on a wooden mallet. The cleaned stalks could then be subjected to chipping at a nearby chipping centre.

Three different models were attempted initially for economic collection and transportation

of cotton stalks at three different locations near Nagpur:

?Transportation of cotton stalks directly from the field to factory;

?Chipping of cotton stalks by farmers and transportation to the factory;

?Collection and transportation of cotton stalks by farmers from the field to the

chipping centre, chipping and subsequent transportation to the factory by an

entrepreneur.

From the study thus carried out, the following conclusions have emerged:

?About 1.3 tonnes of cleaned chips are obtained per hectare of land under rainfed conditions while about 5 tonnes of chips are obtained per hectare under irrigated conditions. (see Flow-chart)

?Among the various models attempted, the most suitable model is the third model which comprises uprooting of stalk, storage, manual cleaning, chipping by use of a tractor-driven chipper at a centralized chipping centre not farther than 5 km from the field and transportation of chips to the factory within 50 km distance by a truck. (Detailed discussion will follow later in this Chapter)

?Transporting cotton stalks beyond 5 km before chipping and beyond 50 km after chipping so as to make it available in an appropriate form to the industry would not be an economically feasible endeavour.

?On an average, the cost of cleaned and chipped stalks to be made available at the factory gate situated within 50 km from the production centre (farm) would workout to about Rs.1500-2000 (US $ 30.0 40.0) per tonne of the raw material with 10% of moisture.

FINAL REPORT 19


3 tonnes/ha at 40% moisture

Cotton stalks uprooted immediately after the completion

of last picking of seed cotton (Contain grn leaves, boll Rinds

and upopened bolls)

14 tonnes/ha at 47 % moisture

2.4 tonnes/ha at 25% moisture

Cotton stalks devoid of leaves after 5 days of

drying in the open field (leaves contribute to about

5%)

9.90 tonnes/ha at 25 % moisture


Cotton stalks bereft of boll rinds, unopened bolls and small

branches after manual cleaning (weight loss about 25%)



Chipped cotton stalks (loss during chipping

: about 10%)



Chips transported to a maximum distance of

about 50 km (loss during loading, unloading and

transportation : 5%)


Nagpur, Maharashtra

(Rainfed)

Sirsa, Haryana (Irrigated)

Flow Chart on the Availability of Cotton Stalks

20 CFC/ICAC/20


Logistics of Cotton Stalk Collection, Chipping & Transporation

Uprooting

Cleaning of stalks

Chipping with a tractor-driven chipper

Transportation of chips

FINAL REPORT 21


3.3 Compaction Trials

Different types of compacting machines including hand-operated, power operated and hydraulic versions were fabricated at CIRCOT. Performance of the machines was tested by compacting several tonnes of cotton stalk. Indicative results are shown in Table 7.

Table 7 : Compaction Data Using Different Machines

Name Time Required for Bales prepared Bale weightpreparing one bale workers in 6 hours (kg)

(Minutes) (No.)

Hand Operated 10 35 5

Electrically 5 75 8Operated

Hand & Electrically 2 150 15Operated

Hydraulically 1.5 250 15Operated

by 2

Compaction of Cotton Stalks

22 CFC/ICAC/20


The data in Table 7 show that the four machines differ widely in their performance levels. However, even the best among them namely the hydraulically operated machine could compact only a maximum of 4 tonnes of cotton stalk in a 6-hour shift. Considering the slow speed, manpower demand, energy requirement and the meagre compaction attainable, it was concluded that compacting cotton stalks to facilitate transport to the chipping centre is uneconomical. Compacting chipped stalks was not attempted as chips are afterall of low specific volume and no advantage would accrue from this operation. It was thus decided that stalks would be transported without compaction from collection centres to the place where the chipping machine was installed.

3.4 Transportation Trials

Trials involving different modes of transportation were undertaken to transfer cotton stalk from collection centres to GTC, Nagpur. Bullock carts were easily available in most of the farms. Many farmers owned tractors with trolleys. Lorries used in the trials were taken on hire. The trials indicated that bullock cart could accommodate much lower quantity of stalks as compared to the other two modes of transport. The capacity of the bullock cart, tractor-trolley and lorry are compared in Table 8.

Table 8 : Mode of Transport

Mode Quantity (kg)

Bullock Cart 325

Tractor Trolley 575

Lorry 1500

For the trials conducted at Nagpur the transfer of cotton stalks from the farms/collection centres to the chipping centre was accomplished by the following modes:

?Bullock cart for distances within 3 kms;

?Tractor-trolley for distances between 3 and 10 kms;

?Lorry for distances above 10 km up to 50 kms.

The study, however, revealed that transporting cotton stalks over distances beyond 5 km is uneconomical. It is, therefore, necessary to set up chipping centres at about 10 km from one another such that transportation distance for stalks would not exceed 5 km.

FINAL REPORT 23


Bullock cart transporting cotton stalks Lorry transporting cotton stalks

3.5 Methodology of Chipping of Cotton Stalks and Transportation of Chipped Material

3.5.1 Chipping Trials with Different Machines

Trials were undertaken on two types of power-operated chippers, namely, chaff cutter and

drum chipper. The quality of chips was assessed from the percentage of fractions

separated by the use of sieves of appropriate mesh sizes. Chips below 0.5 mm constitute

waste while those above 3.5 mm will demand rechipping. The data from the use of different

chippers are summarized in Tables 9, 10 & 11.

Table 9 : Chipping Trials by Using Chaff Cutter (Electrically Operated)

Sl. Moisture Below 0.5 mm 0.5-1.5 mm 1.5-3.5 mm Above 3.5 mmNo. Content (%) (%) (%) (oversize)

(%) (%)

1 8-12 12 71 15 2

Table 10: Chipping Trials by Using Modified Chipper (Diesel Operated)


(%) (%)

1 8-12 10 50 35 5

2 15-25 3 40 45 12

24 CFC/ICAC/20


Table 11: Chipping Trials by Using Drum Chipper (Electrically Operated)


(%) (%)

1 8-12 10 37 23 30

The chips obtained by using drum chipper as well as modified chipper were found to be

ideal for use in the board industry. However, non-availability of power in the villages

becomes a major hurdle in chipping stalks by using the electrically operated drum chipper.

Under the circumstances, the modified chipper operated with tractor or power tiller

appeared to be the most suitable arrangement for chipping cotton stalks. The trials have led

to the following conclusions:

?Tractor-mounted mobile chippers are ideal for chipping cotton stalks.

?Chipper run on 22 HP tractor could produce 7-8 tonnes of chipped stalk in a day of 8 h.

?These chips could be directly loaded in a lorry or filled in bags and loaded in a lorry.

?It is possible to transport about 6 tonnes of chips in one lorry.

In the first two seasons CIRCOT made its own arrangement for collection and

transportation of cotton stalks to the chipping centre and delivering the chipped material at

the factory. Later, the job was entrusted to NGO's. CIRCOT provided the chipper and

tractor to the NGO's.

3.5.2 Cost of Ready-to-use Cotton Stalk Chips

Using the large volume of data on collection, chipping and transportation of cotton stalks, it has been possible to work out the economics of each of these operations. From this analysis the cost of cotton stalk chips made available at the particle board factory has been arrived at. Details are given in Tables 12 and 13. The raw material cost for particle board manufacture from cotton stalk thus works out to Rs. 1960 (US $ 39.2) per tonne of the ready-to-use material.

Table 12 : Cost of Collection and Chipping of Cotton Stalks

Operations Cost per tonne

Rupees US $

Uprooting and cleaning 500 10.0

Chipping 230 4.6

Tractor hiring 360 7.2

Total 1090 21.8

FINAL REPORT 25


Table 13 : Total Cost of Ready-to-use Cotton Stalk Chips Delivered at Factory Site

Operation Cost per tonne

Rupees US $

Labour charges for uprooting, 1090 21.8cleaning and chipping

Transportation charges 320 6.4

Loading and unloading charges 50 1.0

Raw material cost 500 10.0

Total 1960 39.2

3.5.3 Transportation of Stalks and Chips

A critical study of the logistics of cotton stalk collection, chipping and transportation has

revealed the following facts :

?Transporting chipped cotton stalk is more economical than transporting the

stalk as such.

?It would be appropriate to employ bullock carts and tractor trolleys to carry

cotton stalk to the chipping centre and use lorries to deliver the chips at the

factory.

?Transporting distance plays a major role in deciding the effective cost of the

raw material.

?Fifty kilometres should be considered as the maximum permissible distance

for economic transportation of chipped material.

3.6 Storage Trials

In order to find out the shelf life of cotton stalks, a large quantity of the unchipped material

was stored in the open, on a stone platform. Similarly, two lots of chipped cotton stalks

packed in gunny bags were also stacked, one lot in the open and the other inside a godown.

Observations were made every month for colour and insect attack, and chemical analysis

was done once in a month to find out the changes if any in chemical composition (Table 14).

The following facts emerged from this trial :

?Insect attack is rampant in unchipped stalks kept in shade or in the open.?No significant change in the chemical composition occurs in the case of chips

stored in godown.?Chipped stalks are not susceptible to insect attack.?A marginal reduction in holocellulose content is noticeable in chips stored in the

open.

26 CFC/ICAC/20


Table 14 : Data from Chemical Analysis of Stored Cotton Stalk Chips

Sl. Month Moisture Lignin Holo Cellulose EtherNo (%) (%) (%) Extractives

(%)

A B A B A B A B

1 July 14.2 16.0 26.6 25.4 82.1 77.1 7.1 7.2

2 August 14.0 15.9 26.1 25.0 81.4 76.4 7.0 7.1

3 September 12.0 11.9 26.0 24.8 81.2 75.7 7.0 7.2

4 October 11.2 12.9 25.9 24.5 81.1 75.4 6.5 6.8

5 November 11.8 11.4 25.8 24.2 80.9 75.2 6.8 7.1

6 December 11.1 11.2 25.5 24.1 80.7 75.2 6.7 6.5

7 January 11.3 11.4 25.2 24.1 80.5 75.1 6.7 6.8

8 February 11.3 11.4 25.5 24.7 81.1 75.0 6.5 6.3

9 March 11.2 11.4 25.5 24.6 80.9 74.7 6.9 4.5

10 April 11.0 11.1 25.6 24.5 80.5 75.1 6.6 6.4

11 May 10.1 11.5 25.3 24.7 80.4 74.9 6.5 6.4

12 June 13.2 14.1 25.2 24.4 81.0 74.8 6.4 6.3

A : Stored in shed; B : Stored in the open

3.7 Pesticide Residues in Cotton Stalk

Cotton is a long duration crop and hence it is necessary to apply a number of pesticides at various stages of its cultivation. Broadly, the pesticides used on cotton can be divided into 3 classes : organochlorine, organophosphorous and synethtic pyrethroids. Pesticides with long photostability alone were considered in the present study. Cotton stalk samples were collected from the fields of Sirsa in Haryana State in northern India. Based on the history of pesticide application prevalent in that area, chemicals such as endosulphan, quinol-phos, monochrotophos, dimethoate, cypermethrine and effective synthetic pyrythroids were selected for analysis.

Cotton stalk samples with and without the bark were pulverised and analysed for the presence of the above pesticide residues. After standardization of the procedure for extraction of the pesticides from cotton stalk adopting procedures based on AOAC standards, the estimation was carried out by using a gas chromatograph fitted with ECD and MS detector systems. The minimum detection level of the procedure was 1 PPB.

Interestingly the study did not reveal significant presence of any of the pesticides on the cotton stalk analysed. Data in the following Table show negligible residue levels, all below 1 PPB. Hence, it can be safely claimed that the boards made from cotton stalks are free from contamination by the above pesticides.

FINAL REPORT 27


3.8 A Model Cotton Stalk Supply Chain for a 20 TPD Particle Board Plant

It is known that for producing 1 tonne of boards, about 1.5 tonnes of chips are required. Therefore, for running a 20 TPD particle board plant, 30 tonnes of chips would be required each day. Our studies have shown that it is possible to get about 1.5 tonnes of ready-to-use chips from one hectare land around Nagpur. Hence if a factory is to run only on cotton stalks it is necessary to get the material from 6000 ha of farm land which will provide 9000 tonnes of chips for board production in a 20 TPD plant working for 300 days in a year.

3.8.1 Storage

CIRCOT study has shown that cotton stalks are normally uprooted in Nagpur area when the plant is almost dry (devoid of leaves). If such plants are uprooted and left in the field for three days and manually cleaned to remove the boll rinds before being subjected to chipping, the chipped material would be left with a moisture of around 12%. During transportation to the factory, the percentage of moisture stabilizes at about 10%.

Considering that the chips have to be stored in the factory premises for at least one month, about 900 tonnes are to be stacked in its premises and the rest to be stored in 9 decentralised places by groups of farmers (say in 9 villages connected well with transport services).

3.8.2 Chipping Stations

It has been estimated that about ten chipping stations are required to be set up. Each chipping station must be provided with one tractor-driven mobile chipper (outsourcing). Each chipper has an output rate of about 500 kg/h and can provide about 3-4 tonnes per day and in a month it is possible to generate about 90-120 tonnes of chips. Each chipping station will have to store about 1000 tonnes of chips. These chips will be stored in three stockpiles of 3 metres height and each pile is to be covered by polythene sheets to prevent spoilage during rainy season. The stock piles will be adequately separated from one other so as to facilitate loading of chips in trucks.

28 CFC/ICAC/20


Pesticide Residues in Cotton Stalk

Sr. No. Name of Pesticide Amount of Pesticide (PPB)

1. Endosulphan 0.8

2. Quinolphos 0.5

3. Monochrotophos 0.7

4. Dimethoate 0.7

5. Cypermethrine 0.6

The bulk density of cotton stalk chips is about 0.14 g/cc. The average area occupied by a 3-2

metre high stockpile would be around 70 m . The space required in each chipping centre would, therefore, be around of an acre.

Cotton Stalk Collection for Each Chipping Station

As said earlier, about 1000 tonnes of chips are to be generated and stored in each chipping centre. For this, stalks must be collected from 600-700 hectares of land. Based on earlier trials at CIRCOT, four labourers can uproot and collect stalks from one acre in a day. This means, 10 persons are required to uproot the stalk available in 1 hectare. This also means that 10 persons would get employment for one week, only for uprooting. The same number of persons are required for cleaning the material as well. Chipping will employ four persons daily for one month.

3.8.3 Supply of Cotton Stalk Chips

The chips will have to be transported to the factory under the direct supervision of the factory itself to ensure that supply takes place at the required rate.

FINAL REPORT 29


Conclusions : The study has led to the recommendation of the following model for cotton stalk supply chain :

?Under rainfed conditions about 1.3 tonnes of clean cotton stalk chips can be obtained from 1 ha of cotton farm while in irrigated areas, the availability could be as high as 5 tonnes.

?For a 20 TPD cotton stalk particle board plant, the catchment area for raw material collection will be about 6000 ha of cotton farms.

?Cotton stalk obtained by uprooting with the aid of a simple mechanical device will be transported from farms in bullock carts and tractor-trolleys to chipping centres situated not more than 5 km from the farms.

?Cotton stalk arriving at the chipping centre would be processed in a mobile chipper mounted on a 22 HP tractor which will deliver 7-8 tonnes of chips in a shift of 8 h.

?About 10 chipping centres will have to be set up to cater to the requirement of a 20 TPD particle board plant.

?Chipped material would be hauled to the particle board factory situated within 50 km by lorries each of which would accommodate about 6 tonnes.

?When stored for up to 1 year, cotton stalk in chipped form does not show any deterioration in physical quality or chemical composition.

?Cotton stalk chips are free from traces of pesticides used in cotton cultivation.

?By selling cotton stalks to the board industry, the farmer can earn about Rs. 650 (US $ 13) per ha of rainfed cotton farm and about Rs. 2500 (US $ 50) per ha of irrigated farm.

30 CFC/ICAC/20


Chapter 4

Discussion of Project Findings under Component 2

Component 2 : Trials for minimum and optimum levels of cleaning and pre-processing of cotton stalks into chips suitable for processing, at field level and at factory site

4.1 Cotton Stalk Cleaning System

It has been noted that boll rinds and adhering lint present in cotton stalk adversely affect the quality of boards. It is, therefore, necessary to remove all the unwanted components before chipping the stalks. Manually this is done by beating the uprooted or cut stalks gently against a wooden mallet. This process is time consuming and labour-intensive. Hence, an attempt was made under the project to design a cotton stalk cleaning system as an R & D exercise.

The cleaning system specially designed for cotton stalks has the following components :

?Scratching system (Peeler) : Comprises a system of rollers which separate cotton bolls, boll rinds and small branches from the stalks.

?Conveyor system : Transfers material from one stage to the next.

?Air blowing chamber : Here unwanted materials like soil particles, leaves, cotton lint, etc. are removed from the cotton stalk after it emerges from the scratching system.

?Air suction chamber : Residual loose materials comprising leaf bits, fibres and dust particles are sucked away by air, leaving the cotton stalk clean

Documents

Cotton ICAR Report