This invention relates to refining the pith obtained from coconut husk. and manufacture of articles there from.

In the defibering of coconut husk, coir fiber, coir baby fiber and coir pith are obtained by the process proposed by us and covered by our patent application No. .hereinafter called our first process.

The coconut pith (cocopeat) obtained by the first process is a high quality growing media. The phenol and salt content which is present in cocopeat is always at minimum level.

The cocopeat is biodegradable and a renewable resource. It provides optimum air water balance to the root zone. The cocopeat retains physical properties for a long time.

The cocopeat has an optimum pH and electrical conductivity. Cocopeat has easy wettability and low bulk density. It has got the capacity to retain nutrients by adsorption.

Application of cocopeat

1. It is a very good soil conditioner for both sandy soils and clay soils.

2.As growing media in green houses, nursery, home garden it acts as efficient growing media and this is a renewable alternative to different non-renewable growing media used today.

3.0rganic manure. If cocopeat is properly composted it acts as an excellent organic manure providing a healthy soil for healthy plant growth.

4.Cocopeat is excellent media for solid state aerobic fermentation of various biodegradable waste, without generating any foul odour.

5.Cocopeat has an important role to play in waste water management.

Cocopeat has low bulk density; therefore it is difficult to handle this material. Transportation, storing, packing becomes expensive. In order to overcome these disadvantages cocopeat is compressed into brick, block, disc among other forms.

The following example illustrates, but does not limit, the scope of the process proposed herein (the second process).

EXAMPLE

The cocopeat (obtained by the first process) is separated out by a screener. The cocopeat is often contaminated with various contaminants like Salmonella, E.coli, weed seeds, nematodes among others. These contaminants come from coconut husk.

They get into coconut husk from water, soil, through wind, by bird droppings, by stray animals and by similar exposure.

Cocopeat also contains the composting microbes introduced in the first process. These microbes are no longer needed after the completion of the first process.

In order to eliminate the above contaminants and the composting microbes the cocopeat is heated to eliminate weed seeds, nematodes and all the other microbes used in the first process, from the cocopeat.

The cocopeat is dried and compressed to form bricks or blocks, say, of 650gm weight or of 5kg weight, respectively.

The brick is shrink wrapped individually to protect from moisture absorption and for aesthetic purpose.

The blocks are shrink wrapped when marketed individually. They are stretch wrapped with plastic cover and palletized when bulk marketed. Cocopeat can also be marketed in 40 or 50 lit plastic bags

It will be appreciated that various other modes of carrying out the process herein described are possible without departing from rthe scope and ambit of this invention.

We Claim:

1. A process for refining pith (cocopeat) obtained from coconut husk and for the manufacture of articles therefrom comprising the steps of separating the cocopeat from contaminants; heating the cocopeat to eliminate Salmonella, E. coli composting microbes, weed seeds, nematodes and all other extraneous matter; drying the cocopeat and compressing the same into articles of predetermined shapes.

2. A process as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the articles are bricks, blocks and slabs made by compressing cocopeat.

3. A process for refining pith (cocopeat) obtained from coconut husk and for the manufacture of articles there from, substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the Example.