Utilization of Petha industry waste to make pulp for paper making
FIELD: TECHNICAL
This disclosure describes a novel, indigenous and alternative method of paper making by using the pulp made from fruit Benincasa hispida, which is trivially called fuzzy or winter melon. Unlike the traditional methods of pulp making (using wood as a raw material), this method recycles the Petha waste as raw material which could be obtained from the 'Petha' industries in Agra and elsewhere. Generally, Petha waste peel from the industries is dumped as an industrial waste directly to the river Yamuna or around the premises. Utilization of Petha waste (the peel as raw material for paper making) is a comprehensive technique with industrial applicability & effectiveness as it is a cost effective, eco friendly process that addresses the major problems of solid waste management, water pollution, energy engineering and deforestation.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND PRIOR ART
Papermaking from non-wood materials such as textile rags, cereal straw, reeds, grasses, and sugar cane bagasse have been identified few centuries back, especially in Asia. With the invention of industrial printing in the 15th century a rapid increase in demand for paper prevailed which could be met only after 400 years, by the invention of German technique of pulp making from wood (by Friedrich Gottlob Keller in 1840). Since then the annual production of paper from wood pulp has grown to a multi-billion dollar industry, mainly in few industrialized countries. Today, about 90 percent of all pulp is produced from wood which is a threat to environment, and has high production costs.
The fruit 'Ash Gourd', (Benincasa hispida) commonly known in India as Petha (or Kushmand in ancient Ayurveda), has been identified to have
remarkable curative (nutritive, medicinal) properties. It is known to act like a blood coagulant and is used in treatment of peptic ulcers and obesity. The delicious sweet preparations made from it are also used for the treatment of tuberculosis, weakness of the heart and anemia apart from the consumtion as dessert. This innocuous pumpkin like fruit has been transformed into a gourmet's fantasy in the famous crystalline and translucent form of sweet "Petha".
To prepare this sweet, the outer cover of fruit is peeled and the pulp is cut into pieces, boiled in water and added with sugar syrup and other flavoring agents. The thick peel of this waste is thrown as a waste which becomes major factor in contributing organic, inorganic, physical pollution specifically around the river banks, drainages or the cities that are producing/exporting it.
DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE INVENTION ADDRESSES A TECHNICAL PROBLEM:
It is estimated that about 32 tons of petha waste coming from about 400 small and large scale industries is thrown daily in and around Agra city which contributes to about 40% of the total solid waste disposal in the city. This waste is dumped into rivers (Yamuna) or its banks, causing water/land pollution. Recently, the government has enforced fine to the manufacturers for dumping this waste. The described invention involves and describes the use of this waste as a raw material for paper making thus attempting to solve these problems to a greater extent.
Besides solid waste recycling, this process also describes transforming the waste/peel into a raw material for paper making; thus, through this invention
we made efforts to create an alternate rather cost effective, environment friendly procedure which might help in avoiding deforestation and minimize pollution. Since, this procedure is highly cost effective with readily available raw material it would promote paper making which would be helpful to replace poly bags as packaging materials etc. Besides, the paper made by this procedure can be put to various different uses as writing, printing as well as colored paper for crafts and decoration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention involved experimentation with several of the raw materials for making pulp that could be used to make paper. After the analysis, testing, validation of various materials, winter melon peel was found to contains adequate amount of cellulose and fibers such that it can be transformed or recycled by the under mentioned process. Out of all processes known for paper making following method has been tested and found to be suitable to obtain optimum yield from petha peel pulp. The steps involved are:
1.1 Chopping: Petha waste thrown away by workers after making Petha, is procured as raw material. The waste is chopped into small pieces of 3-4 inches. The tougher part of the waste is separated.
1.2 Digestion: The material is then put into a digester which operates at a flame temperature of 1200°C-1400°C and is heated for about 3-4 hrs . Before heating is done NAOH is added in small amounts for the removal of lignocellulosic materials.
it can be done with the help of a thermocol (Polystyrene sheet) base on which polythene is spread.
1.7 Drying: The base along with the paper is finally dried in the sunlight, or other possible sources of heat. The paper is dried until 80-90% of its moisture is removed.
is Finishing and crafting: Final sheets of paper obtained are then crafted as per the desired shape and size, where the particle size can be varied to alter the properties and hence uses of the paper being produced.
EXAMPLES OF INTENDED USE:
The paper obtained is light brown in color depending on the digestion time of pulp. This can be used as a packing material, file and cover pages and paper bags. Besides, the introduction of an additional step of bleaching can yield a paper which can be used for writing/ printing. The paper made has a good tensile strength, brightness and opacity in accordance with the established standards of paper quality.
ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS:
The paper made would be much cheaper than the traditional one, as the raw material is an industrial waste with no additional costs. Also, the process does not involve any sophisticated set-up, so the cost involved in such manufacturing unit even as small scale industry would be very less and easy.
Also, major areas of solid waste disposal and environmental pollution, and forest conservation can be addressed to.
Conclusion:
The process & product made is environment friendly in all aspects. It is made from a waste instead of the traditional wood practice which leads to deforestation, environmental and energy hazards. In a nutshell, this is interconnected with many aspects of domains like.- environment, energy, waste recycling, solid waste management, sustainable development, alternative resources, small scale industry units, clean-up projects, global warming, tree preservation, etc.

CLAIMS:
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. Utilization of industrial waste material of petha peel for the process of paper making.
2. Production of pulp by the utilization of peel of fruit of Benincasa hispida, to be put to use stated in claim 1.
3. Utilization of product obtained from claim 1 for various uses such as packaging material, paper bags, writing/printing material and coloured paper for crafts and decorative. These applications would depend upon the suggested modifications and steps of bleaching and dying,

5. Quality enhancement of paper obtained, the process of bleaching to increase the brightness of the paper by the use of fixed concentration and combination of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide such that the product can be used for printing and writing
6. The method of recycling of petha waste by digesting the crushed waste followed by its chemical treatment for converting into raw material into the product i.e paper.
7. The industrial utilization of inherent properties and constituents of petha waste for production of paper and alcohol ( obtained by fermentation of residue of the described process).
8. Bleaching of petha pulp by using various groups of bleaching agents which release nascent oxygen or peroxyl free radical or chlorine to yield white pulp.
9. Inventors also claim the identification of the use of Na2CO3, NaOH, and Na2SO3
(previously utilized only for the lignin removal from plant sources) in the process
of petha waste transformation to pulp
10. Enhancing the applicability of paper by addition of enhancers and chemical/
natural dyes to add color to paper for varied utilization e.g decorative and crafts.