Banana Plant Stem for making Paper and Boards
Banana grows in abundance in Wardha region and normally the plant after harvesting the
fruits is thrown away, unutilized. CSV has developed a process of making paper and hard boards from banana plant stem on a village scale. /The banana hard-board, after processing, serves as a substitute for wood and thus can be put to multiple uses like partition board, acoustic boards, roofing panels, false celing, asphalted boards, panels for doors and cupboard, black boards, table top , decorative panel, soft display board, pin board, , etc.
The products made from handmade paper and board also included paper pens, pen stand, dustbin, mobile stand, flower pot, photo frame, diary, notebooks, envelops, carry bags, lamp shades, map container, book/ magazine container, paper weight, boxes, coaster,etc.
Asphalt treated banana boards
Asphalt treated banana boards are in demand as expansion joint pads for bridges and other structues. The product is being commercially marketed. Under CSV’s technical guidance, two small scale units are established at Gandhigram, Tamilnadu and Mojri in Maharashtra.
Roofing Panels with Cement and Banana Pulp
Trials were conducted for preparation of roofing sheets using 1%, 1.5% and 2% banana pulp (dry weight) with cement mortar. The date on water absorption, density, breaking load of these sheets was collected. It was found that one of the major drawbacks was the improper mixing of banana pulp with reinforced material; hence instead of pulp, the dry fiber mixing gave quality roofing sheets.
Banana Boards as Acoustic Panels and Roofing Material
The soft banana boards are hardened by using thermostatic resins and pressed under hot hydraulic press. These boards have been proved to be most efficient hard board.
Coconut Coir Pith Boards
The coconut coir pith is bound into boards by adding 15% waste paper pulp. Now the uses of such light boards for acoustic purpose is being sought.
Cotton Stalk Board
Cotton stalk can also be utilized for manufacture boards. The process involves chopping, Pulverizing, treating with caustic soda, mixing it with rsins and moulded either in hand mould or pressed under hydraulic press.
Saw Dust Boards
Saw dust is treated in alkaline solution over night to soften the material. It is then slightly beaten with a wooden rod and mixed with 10% old paper pulp and moulded into a sheet of desired thickness. The same method is followed for utilization of the coir dust and the products have been found quite sturdy.
Water Hyacinth Paper
Water hyacinths are water weeds which choke major watr channels in India are used to make paper. The process involves chopping, soaking in 12% NaOH for40 hours followed by bleaching, pulverizing and then moulding into paper or board.
Wheat Straw Board
Experiment was undertaken for making board by mixing 20-50% wheat straw with banana plant stem pulp.
Lantena camara Board
A common weed that can be converted into soft and hard boards with a mixture of paper waste (10%) and Jute (5%)
- Fibers from the stems of the following crops or weeds were used for making paper & board
- Tuar (Cajanuscajan)
- Cotton (Gossypiumherbacium)
- Lantana (Lantana camera)
- Ambdi (Hibiscus subdariffa)
- Rui (Calotropisgigentia)
- Banana (Musa spe.)
- Ranbhendi (Abelomoschusmostechus)
- Ketki (Agave sislana)and
- Beshram (Ipomoea fistulosa)
- Deinkinging newspaper and printed paper for making writin paper
- Thick panelboards from shredded currency notes ( Fro Reserve Bank of India)
- Paper from discarded Jute bags and waste paper
- Paper cups and pots for nursery plants
- Products made from recycled old news paper and magazines, etc. like paper pens and decorative items. New papers in plain or tubular form for making variety of utility and decorative items.
Training
Training in Handmade Paper was conductucted for the following indstitutions:
- Maharashtra Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (MCED), Wardha.
- Conducted training program at Taroda, Block and District Wardha
- Training for Khadi and Village Industries Commission” (KVIC), Regional Branch, Nagpur
- TRIFED Regional Office, New Mumbai
- Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur
- Agriculture College, Pipri (Meghe
- New Arts, Commerce & Science College (Social Work Dept.)
- Bharati MahilaBachat Gat, Vadgaon, Yavatmal
- NIRD
- Training program were conducted for entrepreneurs from the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Chattisghar, and Andhrapradesh.
Spirulina
Spirulina a blue green alga or a single cell protein is considered as natures Super Food. It has remarkable nutritional power. Spirulina is often called nature’s perfect food because of its abundant nutritional profile. Spirulina tablet or powder contains following items.
Spirulina – The Wonder Food
- Spirulina has highest quality protein available. It is higher in protein value than beef, chicken, turkey, eggs, soybean, rice, tofu or wheat.
- It has about 69% protein of which 95% is digestible compared to 20% from meat protein.
- Contains all the amino acids that the body cannot produce.
- Contains no fats or starches.
- Grown in the controlled environment, it is free from pollutants and toxins. A vitamin and Mineral Gold-Mine:
- 25 times higher in beta-carotene than carrots.
- 28 times higher in iron than beef liver, and 56 times higher than spinach or steak.
- The highest whole food source of B-12, which is important for vegetarians
- Rich in Glycogen which is rarely found in plants. Glycogen is stored in the liver for quick energy
- Richer in chlorophyll than alfalfa and wheat grass Good for Environment:
- Produced through ecologically sound aqua culture.
- 100% natural and non-toxic
- Creates clean air as it grows by removing carbon dioxide and replenishing oxygen to the atmosphere.
Spirulina has protein, amino acids, beta-carotene, chlorophyll, B vitamins, calcium, iron, and GLA etc. In fact Spirulina is such a well rounded natural whole food that NASA has chosen it as a primary food for space travel. And the United Nations has concluded that Spirulina could be the solution to global protein shortage. Spirulina, microscopic blue green algae, has capacity to produces 10 times more protein per acre than that of Soya bean and 200 times more than that of beef. It is the best natural source of protein anywhere.
Spirulina has all nine of the essential amino acids as well as nine more nonessential ones. One tablespoon (about 2 grams) of Spirulina powder provides US RDA of vitamin B12… 50 % of vitamin B2… and 2300% of vitamin A, in the safe form of beta carotene, an essential antioxidant that helps protect the body’s healthy cells.
Centre of Science for Villages under the guidance and support of Dr. Replay Fox became the premier technology generating and technology transferring institute. Since last 30 years CSV was involved in generating awareness and popularizing the use of Spirulina.
CSV evolved and optimized technologies for production of Spirulina. It includes production of Spirulina on house hold level as well as on large scale commercial level. CSV also developed appropriate methods for processing and preserving Spirulina. It has also developed new value added products.
Training to rural entrepreneurs in Spirulina Production & Products:
- Providing standard methodology of cultivating Spirulina
- Provide details of admissible and non-admissible inputs in Spirulina Production
- Production of Spirulina flakes, powder, capsules, snacks and skin ointment
Rural Pottery
Traditional pottery products are gradually losing their clientele to metals and plastics. CSV has tried to rejuvenate this highly potential artisanal industry by introducing new consumer items in their production like below:
- Biogas Burner
- Roofing Tiles
- Flooring and Wall Tiles
- Irrigation Pipes
- Emitter for drip irrigation
- Smoke Chimneys for chulhas
- Magan (smokeless chullhas
- Improved Lavatory seats
- Pre-formed structural elements for bio-gas and water storage tanks
- Sheetal (Cold) pot, water filter – Poor man’s fridge.
Bamboo
Value added products from Bamboo
The traditional bamboo artisans confine themselves to making of baskets & mats fetching extremely low prices. They were trained by CSV in manufacture of new products like suitcases, carry bags, lampshades, soap cases, hangers, pens, hairpins, racks for different purposes, furniture etc. by using improved tools and techniques. Further CSV has assisted bamboo artisans of Maharashtra & Andhra Pradesh to form Artisan Collectives to procure raw material and organize sales of these products.
Improved Traditional Charkha
The traditional charkha in use in the North Indian states of Rajasthan, U.P., Haryana and Bihar has a very low efficiency in production i.e. 3-4 hanks of yarn of 10-15 count! This appallingly low productivity (and low returns) suffered by 2.5 lakh spinners became the concern of CSV. CSV succeeded in increasing the productivity by 100% by an improved technique that produces 40 count yarn without any irritating brakes in the process.
- Improved spindle which can both twist and wind the yarn
- Introduction of gears to increase the wheel speed from 25 RPM to 75 RPM to produce 40 count even yarn.
This improved Amber Charkha also produces thicker yarn of good quality enjoying heavy demand from carpet and drapery industry.
With this spinner earns 3 times more than traditional Charkha.
Match Sticks from Cotton Stalk
Traditional match sticks have been made of soft wood which has led to over-exploitation of the resource resulting in the depletion of trees. CSV explored the option of crop residues to replace the tree wood. One such material is cotton stalk.
The process of using the stalk involves overnight soaking of these stems in water and then peeling off their bark to obtain the inner woody material and cutting them into match stick size which are then treated with wax. These match-sticks are lighter and stiffer than the wooden sticks and give a steady burning flame. This opens up a new area of ecologically sound match-stick making, as a decentralized cottage industry, CSV is still working to perfect the process and the product for commercial purpose. The processes are under development.