Technology of Ecodesigned Spherical for Latex Handling
Introduction of Natural Rubber Latex Industry Sri Lanka is the 7th largest “Natural Rubber” (NR) producer in the World Natural Rubber Processing and Manufacturing Industry and it plays an especial major role in local and global economy. Further Natural Rubber Processing and Manufacturing Industry in world have a huge economic impact on rural poor livelihood. In this industry the main Raw Material used is “Natural Rubber Field Latex”, which tapped from the Rubber Trees and it is processed in two forms named as (A) Liquid Form and B) Dry Form which will be selected in accordance with the Final Product Manufactures Requirements and passes through “Many Collection, Transferring, Transport, Storing and Handling” Processes.
Sector: Rubber
Country: Sri Lanka
Area of Application: Technical Problem Presently I am working as a resource person on Cleaner Production Methodology (CP) for the “National Cleaner Production Centre of Sri Lanka” set up for the Ministry of Industrial Development and Commerce. CP looks at input resources, how it flows through the processes, and helps organization to eliminate or reduce creation of waste, pollution and toxicity of all the emissions and improve their efficiency of resource utilization. During cleaner production assessments I carried out for rubber sector consultancy programmes, observed the following wastages, difficulties and problems in-between rubber plantation and up to end of latex base production processes. 1. Wastage of natural rubber latex 2. Wastage of chemicals used for natural rubber latex processing, 3. High volume of ammonia evaporation to environment, 4. Use of improper latex transfer methods, 5. Utilization of unsuitable utensils, 6. Utilization of uneconomical and improper handling practices, 7. Higher amount of coagulation of latex within the production processes, 8. Uncontrolled quality inconsistency in final products, 9. Use of high volume of unnecessary of labor, 10. Unsatisfied labor attitudes due to difficult working conditions they faced, 11. Spends huge money and resources to treat sludge (which develops during the production processes) aiming to avoid being damage the environment and harmful effects on human health, and 12. Face serious problems with neighborhoods of the industry and government authorities due to discharge of the said sludge by polluting environment. Also identified those valve leaks, hose leaks, spills of latex with chemicals and use of square shape bulking tanks for latex storing" has more influenced the wastage in existing processing methodology. The evaporation of ammonia to surrounding throughout the whole production processes is a severe environmental hazard and furthers a health hazard to all factory staff.
Keywords: Natural Rubber Latex, Centrifuging, Wastage, Environment hazard, Ammonia Evaporation, Labor attitudes
Advantages: The Invention and Technical Solution Therefore it is a national and global need to develop a new technology, which can help to natural rubber latex production processes on minimization of their wastages, improve their productivity and prevent adverse effects to environment. To overcome above shortcomings, should think of new ways such as modifying equipment where necessary and improving processing techniques and controls. This led me in invention of new technology of Single Transfer- Multi Purpose- Ecodesigned Spherical for natural rubber latex industry, having following techno-economic feasibilities with sustainability. 1.The new ecodesigned unit will effect in the reduction of coagulated rubber formation due to less internal surface area, where it is an average of 19.5% less than the existing square shape tanks. 2 .Its unique circular shapes itself provides an natural effective way to drain out all the latex filled thus miinimizing wastage and automatically improves resource productivity without any additional cost. 3. Its circular shape itself provides a natural effective way by not having any corners to support the coagulation and stagnancy of latex- thus automatically controlling the increase of Volatile Fatty Acid Number without any additional cost. 4. When compared to existing technology it will automatically control the increase of Volatile Fatty Acid No: of latex storages- due to very lesser open area to atmosphere, without additional cost for resources. 5. It will prevent 06 latex transfer stages such as- field latex transfer from pales to estate central tanks, from estate central tanks to bowser/tractor tanks, from bowser/tractor tank to factory bulking tanks, from factory maturation tank to buyers bowser/tractor tanks, from buyers bowser/tractor tanks to storage tanks and from storage tanks to production unit day tanks giving huge eco economic benefits. 6. It will minimized the coagulated rubber formation due to surface area contamination of latex, by eliminating various loading and unloading processes. 7. It will minimize the skin rubber formation on latex -due to very lesser open area to atmosphere due to its unique shape. 8. It will be easy for the workers to clean the empty ecodesigned units due to minimized of skin rubber formation and circular shape having no any corners. 9. It will automatically minimize the cost of tank cleaning processes by reducing the usage of labour, water, electricity and utensils due to minimized skin rubber formation. 10.It will consist of a new arrangement so that ecodesigned units could be coupled directly to the Centrifuging Machine for latex centrifuging process without transferring them to bulking tanks. 11. It will overcome the existing improper latex transfer methods and reduces their latex spillages. 12. It will reduce chemicals and auxiliary material wastages by giving a high cost saving. 13. It will minimize Ammonia evaporation to environment, by having very lesser open area to atmosphere than the conventional tanks- providing environmental friendly working surroundings. 14. It help in easy way to separate sludge/sediments from ecodesigned units through height adjustable valve fixed to bottom, without making any disturbance to deposited sludge, during centrifuge process. 15. It will help in easy way to collect the sludge from ecodesigned units so facilitating to convert them to useful by products in cost effective way and minimize the huge money and resources spend to treat the sludge/sediments, to avoid being damage the environment and harmful effects on human health. 16. It will prevents centrifuge latex industry owners from faceing serious problems with neighbourhoods of the industry and government authorities due to discharge of sludge/sediments to environment. 17. Its unique circular shape itself provides a natural effective way to come up all the Yellow Fractions formed during Fractionation Process of the Crepe Rubber Production, by automatically facilitating the quality consistency of finished products, in cost effective way. 18. It will help in easy way of collection of Yellow Fraction from ecodesigned units-weighing, and monitoring and analyzed them scientifically according to age of the trees, clone of the trees, weather conditions, estate wise conditions and soil conditions etc: 19. It will effect in savings on transport cost and make way to earn additional income for latex transport Vehicles, due to zero time waiting for latex loading and unloading processes. 20. It will effect in obtaining quality consistency when chemical dozing and stirring of latex processing due to its unique circular shape. 21. It will affect to reduce total natural rubber latex processing cost due to minimization of labor, water, and electricity and machinery usage.
Environmental aspects: Cleaner Production , Waste utilization, Energy efficiency
Development Status: Commercial Prototype
Legal Protection: Patent
Technical specifications: Sustainability of the New Spherical Eco Design Unit The New Device will be popularized among the Planters/Industrialists because it helps them to 1. Improve the Productivity,
Transfer Terms: Technology Licensing , Turnkey
Target Countries: Guatemala, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Cote D'ivoire, Liberia, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Thailand, Uruguay, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, China, Congo, Gabon, Ghana
Estimated cost (US$): 25000
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City: Kelaniya
Country: Sri Lanka
Zip/Pin Code: 0094