STORAGE AND HANDLING OF AGRO-WASTE MATERIAL FOR PAPER MAKING

Abstract

I've seen serious problems with agro-waste storage and handling in the Indian paper industry. I am working on how to increase the storage life of wheat straw and rice straw. In our country, we can produce wheat straw season-wise, but paper industries run continuously the whole year, so storage and handling play a crucial role, and we are also facing fire hazards and microbial degradation problems during storage. The cost of transporting agro-waste is high. I'm trying to save money on transporting wheat straw by densifying it into a particular (rectangular) shape. In the same area, we can arrange approximately 50% more agro-waste. We collected wheat straw using a binder that is soluble in water at room temperature and prepared a suspension with the fixed concentration of wheat starch mixed into the suspension with the help of the agitator for up to 5–6 minutes. and I made a rectangular shape mild steel mould after mixing wheat straw into the mould and with the help of the hydraulic machine pressing 3-4 times at 50 psig and 150-180 degree Celsius temperature after pressing put it into the oven for 24 hours and taken out we found densified rectangular pallet. Our calculations revealed a 50% reduction in area and transportation costs. I've been trying to create antimicrobial properties in the pallet. I have found one microbial agent that could save wheat straw during the attack of microbes and fungi. For the fire hazardous problem, I sprayed fire retardant agents in a fixed proportion. After the densified form, I again disintegrated the pallet, dispersed it, and screened it. With the help of the paper reformer, I made a 70-gsm paper sheet. When I compared the paper sheets, which are made of normal wheat straw, the properties of both papers were the same. My project has the potential to stop stubble burning. If we implement this project on the ground, we will help increase the income of our former and save transportation costs.