Title : Environmental impact assessment process in cotton double roller ginning industries and effect of seed-cotton ginning percentage investigations conducted during the year 1990-1997
Abstract:
This paper discusses the environmental impact assessment process in cotton double roller ginning industries and effect of seed-cotton ginning percentage investigations conducted during the year 1990-1997. The study and check has been conducted by the author at Ginning Section, Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Matunga, Mumbai. This paper discusses micro contamination and pollution caused by the use of dust-producing grinding action of Chrome Composite Leather-Clad (CCLC) rollers commonly used in Indian cotton roller ginning industries and attempts to eliminate the chromium contamination and pollution during the cotton ginning process. The cotton ginning process is the first phase of mechanical operation in cotton textile production. It was necessary to investigate various roller covering materials for toller gins. Cotton grown in the plant, commercially known as seed-cotton (or kapas), consists of 24 to 40 seeds per boll. Most of the cotton ginning operations are performed by using double roller (DR) gins which serve an important role in the ginning industry. The cotton roller ginning process is the mechanical separation of cotton fibres from their seeds by means of one or more rollers to which fibres adhere while the seeds are impeded and struck off or pulled loose. During the year 1990 to 1998, about more than 3000 samples have been investigated for cotton ginning percentage in laboratory model gin and commercial double roller gin. This investigation has been conducted to find genetic composition of lint obtained from seed-cotton and seed percentage including percentage ginning loss. Cotton ginning percentage is calculated 21 % to 41 % on percent weight basis of fuzzy seed-cotton and hybrid seed-cotton. About 80 % of the seed-cotton produced in India is ginned in DR gins. The roller is a vital part of the gin and one requiring considerable attention. The peculiar gripping action or adherence of the cotton fibres to roller covering surface is an important element in the success of cotton roller ginning process. Presently, there are about 4500 ginneries using 210 000 CCLC rollers (another 50 000 to 80 000 as spares) per year. On the basis of the design and development of various rollers with subsequent performance evaluation studies, chrome-free Rubberized Cotton Fabric (RCF) roller has been demonstrated with reference to techno-commercial and eco-friendliness in cotton Roller ginning industries. This pollution-free and chrome-free RCF rollers were found successful in ginning out seed-cotton in an environment friendly way, while maintaining high quality ginning rate potential.
Key Words: seed-cotton, ginning, investigation, lint, training.
