Indian Pulp Research Articles

Screening of Eucalyptus camaldulensis clones for enhancing productivity and sustainability in problematic soils of Southern India

Among the various challenges faced by eucalyptus plantations in the Indian pulp industry, one of them is the development of resilient clones adaptable to saline soils. Large genetic diversity exists in E. camaldulensis because of high out-crossing rates and is expected to pass traits into the new developed clones. We used a salt injury score, survival percentage and proline content as a screening criterion to select new clones tolerant to high salt levels in soils. Proline has been identified as a beneficial solute in plants under stress caused by high salinity. Three months old clones of eleven new eucalyptus genotypes were transplanted in pots with free-draining coarse river sand. Four treatments comprising control, high Salt, High Salt + High pH and High pH were arranged in a randomised block design. Common salt (NaCl) was used for regulating salt concentrations while sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) was used for regulating the pH of the solutions. NaCl concentrations were increased every third day until the final concentration of 150 mM was reached. Similarly, pH of the solutions was also gradually increased till final pH of 10 was attained. Each treatment solution was delivered through automated drip delivery. Salt injury scores based on symptoms were positively correlated (0.812) with survival percentage and proline content. Eucalyptus genotypes were classified into five salt tolerant groups: tolerant (T), moderately tolerant (MT), moderately sensitive (MS), sensitive (S), and highly sensitive (HS). The mean values of proline content in leaves were different among the five groups, indicating that the proline content is a reliable marker for identifying salt tolerance. Proline contents in stressed seedlings were significantly different between the tolerant and highly sensitive groups, but the difference among the intermediate groups (MT, MS and S) was not significant. As the stress levels of salt and pH were increased, the sensitive hybrid clone tested showed very poor growth, which was also negatively correlated with the proline content in its leaves. Combination of high salt and high pH was also found to be correlated with reduced proline content, poor growth and survival among sensitive genotypes. In addition to the commonly used sodium and pH induced symptoms, proline content is suggested to be another useful criterion to differentiate salt-tolerant from salt-sensitive genotypes. This study helped in classification of genotypes with different levels of salt and pH tolerance, which may be used for deployment of genotypes according to changing edaphic conditions for sustainability of eucalyptus plantations.

An overview on non-wood fiber characteristics for paper production: Sustainable management approach

The amount of paper and paperboard a country uses are a reliable barometer of its development. Having access to them is essential to our daily life. The Indian paper industry faces a number of challenges, one of which is a scarcity of high-quality raw materials. Agricultural waste products have become essential alternative sources of supply as a result of an increase in the need for fibrous raw materials, a global lack of trees, and a growing awareness of sustainability. When compared to the manufacturing of pulp and paper from wood sources, the use of non-wood sources (including bagasse, maize stalks, cotton stalks and rice straws) offers a number of advantages. These benefits include superior quality of the bleached pulp and excellent sources for specialty papers. Paper manufacture is more ecologically friendly and sustainable when non-wood fibers are processed since non-wood pulping technologies use less energy than wood-based pulping processes. Furthermore, the financial advantages include cost savings, market differentiation, enhanced sustainability, and access to government subsidies. By investing in non-wood fibers to satisfy rising customer demand for environmentally friendly goods, paper manufacturers may position themselves for long-term prosperity and environmental responsibility. The non-wood fibers are cellular and have a complex cell wall structure. A thorough understanding of their properties is essential for effective use. Therefore, the objective of the present review is to explore the wide variation between critical characteristics (morphological, chemical, and mechanical) and the most appropriate pulping and bleaching processes for commonly used agricultural residues (Rice straw, Bagasse, Wheat straw and Bamboo) in the Indian pulp and paper industry for the production of paper, board, and packaging.

Genetic Algorithm-enhanced Rank aggregation model to measure the performance of Pulp and Paper Industries

Performance measurement is a complex but important task required in all sectors. The problem however arises when usage of different methods for performance assessment provides different results. Under such circumstances when there is a difference of opinions, rank aggregation methods can be used to provide the best solution to decision-makers (DMs). Such approaches, also known as data fusion approaches, combine ranked lists from various methods to generate a consensus. In this study, a novel rank aggregation method is proposed for addressing the problem of conflicting MCDM ranking results. The suggested method uses genetic algorithm (GA) to minimize the Euclidean distance between the ideal ranking and the ranking computed by multiple MCDM methods. This model is embedded into a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (HMCDM) approach, which is divided into three distinct phases. The first phase identifies the most efficient alternatives; the second analyses the rankings obtained through various MCDM methods; and finally, a compromise ranking result is generated. The proposed approach is employed to measure the performance of Indian Pulp and Papermaking Industries (IPPI).

Bibliometric analysis of indian pulp and paper technical association journal (2005-2019)

IPPTA (Indian Pulp and Paper Technical Association) Journal is a well-known journal in the Indian pulp and paper fraternity with a publishing history of fifty-five years. This study presents a bibliometric overview of articles published in the IPPTA Journal during 2005-2019. This is the first bibliometric study of a journal completely dedicated to pulp and paper research. The bibliometric analysis included analysis of article distribution, subject classification, authorship pattern, author productivity and collaboration, geographical distribution, references, keywords, prominent institutions, and citations. It also accounts for Lotka's law of scientific productivity, relative growth rate, doubling time, frequently contributing authors and top-cited articles. It was found that during this period 830 articles were published in IPPTA Journal. The average number of articles published per year in the journal is ~56. A total of 2361 authors from 27 countries and 339 unique institutes were identified in these articles. These articles contained 1009 unique keywords, used 5968 references, and received 561 citations. 74.10% of articles were contributed by joint authors. Out of the total 5968 references cited in this journal during the period of study, 48.51% were sourced from journal articles. The overall degree of collaboration, modified collaboration coefficient, average author per article, productivity per article, and collaboration index were calculated to be 0.7410, 0.5030, 2.8446, 0.3515, and 3.8390, respectively. Nonetheless, highlighting various interesting features, this analysis also detected certain inadequacies that need to be resolved for further improvement of this journal.

MCDM approach for selection of raw material in pulp and papermaking industry

ABSTRACTSelection of a suitable fibrous raw material for the pulp and papermaking industries is a tedious process involving a lot of experimental procedures. This process can be reduced to some extent through computer-based simulation tools and treating the problem as a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem. In the present study, selection of fibrous raw material is treated as an MCDM problem where chemical, morphological and physical properties of the fibers are considered as different criteria and study is done in context of Indian Pulp and Paper Mills. TOPSIS, its fuzzy variant (FTOPSIS) and its modified variant (MTOPSIS) are employed to identify the suitable selection of fibers. The results obtained by these methods when discussed with experts indicate that MCDM tools like TOPSIS (and its variants) can be an attractive alternative for simulation-based selection of fibrous raw material for pulp and paper industries.

Structural change and technical efficiency: a study of Indian pulp and paper industry

PurposeThe pulp and paper industry has been the focus of government policies ever since independence. This is the only industry where government plays a multi-dimensional role – not only as the regulator but also as the supplier of raw material and as the buyer. Despite the government's omnipotent role, there is evidence that industry is not very competitive, as it has very high energy and water intensity and poor productivity. A potent factor identified in the literature for the underperformance of the industry or for that matter any economy is the kind of technology used by the firms in the sector. This paper aims to look into the role of government policy in affecting the growth of the industry and what role embodied technology has played in influencing the efficiency of firms in Indian pulp and paper industry.Design/methodology/approachFor the first question, the study uses 66 years of production data of the industry from 1951 to 2016 and tests for the structural break. For the second question, the study uses cross-section plant-level data for the year 2011-2012 of 160 paper manufacturing units to first estimate the stochastic production frontier (stochastic frontier analysis [SFA]) and then uses the output of SFA to find an association between embodied technology gap (TG) and technical efficiency. A methodological problem in earlier literature is the use of the productivity gap as a proxy for embodied TG. The present study uses technical parameters of papermaking – machine deckle and operating speed – to construct an index of TG.FindingsThe results show a structural break in the production trend occurring in 1999 with the delicensing in July 1997 as the possible cause. The SFA results show that the average technical inefficiency (TE) of the firms in the sector is 74 per cent with half of the firms having TE higher than 76 per cent. The study, however, does not find any impact of embodied TG on technical efficiency; rather it is the age, size, ownership and location that have an impact on it.Originality/valueThis is an original research, as the author has not come across any study in Indian context or elsewhere using technical parameters to construct TG variable.

Biobleaching for pulp and paper industry in India: Emerging enzyme technology

Abstract Indian pulp and paper industry is one of the fastest emerging business sector of the country which has shown tremendous growth in last few years. Governments policies are creating sustain pressure on paper industries to preserve the clean and pollution free environment at any price. As a result industries are pondering to replace the chemical bleaching processes with facile bio-based cost effective technologies. Eco-friendly bleaching enzymes like xylanases and laccases have the potential for biobleaching of wood and agro-based pulps at industrial scale. In India, enzymatic prebleaching of pulp is widely being investigated and has achieved favorable outcomes but at laboratory scales only and commercial application of enzymes for the delignification of pulp is still at budding stage. This article tends to draw the attention on significant efforts which have been continually attributed by indigenous research laboratories and industries to replace the chemical bleaching with enzymes.

Beneficial use of boiler ash in alkali-activated bricks

This research incorporates waste boiler ash into masonry construction materials using alkali-activation. The boiler ash, derived from three different Indian pulp and paper mills, has many undesirable characteristics for alkali-activation, including varying shape, large particle sizes ranging from 5 to 600μm, loss on ignition between 8 and 35%, and less than 4% alumina. When combined with supplementary materials in the form of clay and lime, high compressive strengths are observed in the bricks made with all three ashes, demonstrating the robustness of the proposed mix design. A brick formulation with a solids phase weight ratio of ash(70):clay(20):lime(10), liquid to solid ratio of 0.45, and 2M NaOH produces bricks with compressive strengths between 11 and 15MPa after 28days curing at 30°C. Furthermore, early strength development is observed, as more than 55% of the 28day strength is achieved after one day curing. An economic and environmental analysis indicates that these bricks can be produced for similar costs as the clay fired brick with reduced environmental impact, making them a viable alternative in the market.

A Study on Indian Pulp-Fiction in English and Its Need for Literary Acknowledgement

The phrase, ‘Pulp Fiction’, connotes to the literature printed on cheap quality pulp paper. Actually, the fascination towards Indian pulp-fiction in English edifies amazing progress sustained by the adroitness of the pulp fiction writers who aspire to persist on the interests of their avid readers. In fact, these writers have to rack their brains to secure their popularity and good will amidst their readers by catering to their challenging interests or expectation in making their choice of the pulp fiction at every purchase. Factually speaking, literature created in a specific period by nature, reflects the societal set up and its demands of that period. Undoubtedly, this aspect of literature not only enriches the self-comprehensiveness of its readers but also seizes their absolute interest towards it. Considering these fundamental purposes of creating literature as the significant parameters to validate a literary piece, this article reinstates the standards of a select few Indian English pulp fictions produced recently by the emerging writers like Chetan Bhagat, Ashwin Sanghi, Ravinder Singh, Durjoy Dutta and Nikita Singh. Literature produced in the past even exhibit evidences for having focused on its commercial progress similar to that of recent Indian pulp fiction in English. Therefore, the commercial approach of the best selling Indian English pulp fiction shall not be misinterpreted for its lacuna of literary standards. While, the pulp fictions of Chetan Bhagat and Ravinder Singh climb to the next level of producing box office hits as feature films, why not a space be created for this genre of pulp fiction with a set of elevated literary norms. Consideration of the pulp fiction as an additional genre in Indian English shall definitely unveil an arena of scope for emerging writers of the future.

Design and Development of Operational Diagram for Controlling the Performance of Activated Sludge Process with a Case Study

AbstractThis paper describes the design and development of an operational diagram that was developed based on the solids flux theory and connects the process operational parameters, namely, mixed-liquor suspended solids, flow, volume, area, and recycle ratio in an unified graphical form to facilitate the design and operation of secondary clarifiers for an Indian pulp and paper industry. A control strategy was developed based on steady-state control methods by utilizing the batch settling data generated in stationary phase complimented with artificial neural network models. These diagrams evaluate the operating strategies in response to changes in flow rate or settleability of solids. These operational diagrams developed based on steady-state control analysis, can be used for controlling the performance of the activated sludge process subjected to long term variations in the influent flowrate and substrate concentration. The plant operator can make a rational decision on his own to control the process usin...

Simulation of heat integrated multiple effect evaporator system

In the present work a number of configurations and difficulties of MEE system such as condensate flashing, vapor bleeding, steam splitting, preheating of liquor using condensate, variable physical properties and boiling point rise are taken into consideration to analyze the evaporation system. For this purpose seven effect evaporator system of a typical Indian pulp and paper industry is considered. The model developed is a set of nonlinear algebraic equations that include total and solute mass balances, energy balances, heat transfer rate equations, and the composition and temperature dependence of thermodynamic properties such as vapor pressures and enthalpies. The model is solved using nonlinear equation solver.Economic evaluation to optimize the number of flash tanks is carried out for seven effect evaporator system. The two different types of configurations of vapor bleeding are considered and compared. Considering optimum number of flash tanks and best configuration of vapor bleeding, a system is designed. Further, a modified system is found considering optimum number of flash tanks and preheating of liquor using condensate. This modified design enhances the steam economy by 23.77% and reduces the steam consumption by 36.76% in comparison to base case and thus, it is selected as optimum design. Finally, Pinch analysis of the MEE network has also been carried out and it is found that predicted results are compared well with base case.

Big issues around a small-scale phenomenon: Vernacular pulp fiction in English translation for Indian readers

This paper explores the implications of the recent appearance of some Indian vernacular pulp fiction texts in English translation for Indian readers. As background, the first of three main sections outlines the current scope of Indian Translation Studies, and also briefly examines recent thinking about the position of English in India. The second section examines the habitual Indian English-readers’ perspective of such pulp fiction in translation, and the third that of Hindi commentators insofar as relevant here. These two latter sections do not offer a linear argument, or undertake a close reading of specific texts. Rather, they draw a picture of vernacular and English popular print culture in India, wherein various slippages and cross-connections are apparent.

Membrane filtration of chlorination and extraction stage bleach plant effluent in Indian paper Industry

The present study was carried out for the treatment of effluent from the chlorination and extraction stages of a bleach plant at an Indian pulp and paper mill. The effluents were taken from an integrated paper mill employing OCEOPHH sequence for the bleaching of hardwood pulp. Effluent was treated via ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO). Thin film composite spiral-wound modules, having cross flow membranes composed of polysulfone and polyamide, were used in the study. Three initial inlet pressures were used for the UF and NF; 6.8, 10.3, and 13.7 bar. For RO initial inlet pressures of 10.3 bar, 13.7 bar and 17.2 bar, were taken in different trials. The retentate from each experiment was recycled back to the feed and retreated until the inlet pressure increased to the maximum cut-of pressure for each membrane. The UF permeate was fed to the NF, which was subsequently fed to the RO. Variations in the trans-membrane pressure and permeate flux were assessed. The removal of pollutants and fouling indices were obtained for each membrane at each initial inlet pressure.

Treatment of combined bleaching effluent by membrane filtration technology for system closure in paper industry

This study has been carried out for the treatment of combined bleaching effluent of an Indian pulp and paper mill. The Chlorination, extraction, Hypo-1 & Hypo-2 (CEHH) sequence is being used for the bleaching of hardwood pulp in the mill. Effluent was treated by the Ultrafiltration (UF), Nanofiltration (NF) and Reverse Osmosis (RO). Thin film composite spiral-wound modules, having crass flow membranes made-up by polysulphone and polyamide were used in the study. Three initial inlet pressures were 6.8 bar, 10.3 bar and 13.7 bar for UF and NF. For RO initial inlet pressures of 10.3 bar, 13.7 bar and 17.2 bar, were taken in different trials. Retentate of each experiment was recycled back to the feed and retreated till the inlet pressure increased up to the maximum cut-of pressure for each membrane. Ultrafiltration permeate was fed to the nanofiltration, and permeate of nanofiltration was again fed to the reverse osmosis. Variations in Trans Membrane Pressure (TMP) and permeate flux were assessed. Pollutants removal and fouling indexes were obtained for each membrane at each initial inlet pressure.

Corporate responses to the CDM: the Indian pulp and paper industry

In the context of a rapidly evolving Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) market and increasing debate about the design of a future global climate regime, it is essential to understand which types of projects are undertaken along industrial value chains, and also the influence of company characteristics (e.g. size, raw material base, product type, ownership and location) on firms' CDM participation and choice of project type. The Indian pulp and paper industry was examined for its energy intensity and its diversity in terms of both mitigation opportunities and company characteristics. Large firms were found to be more likely than small firms to participate in CDM. Although CDM projects in large and small firms generate similar amounts of certified emission reductions (CERs), the type of technology implemented in those projects varies strongly with company size due to differing levels of capabilities and capital. Mill size and raw material base also affect participation and choice of project type. A structured approach is suggested for analysing how to engage different subsectors of an industry in mitigation efforts based on transnational sectoral approaches, domestic sectoral approaches, and programmatic CDM. Preliminary policy recommendations are offered for the Indian pulp and paper industry, as well as insights that are transferable to other countries. A one-size-fits-all sectoral approach is difficult to implement and a strategy for differentiated treatment based on company characteristics is required to reflect local development priorities.

Indian Pulp Fiction in English: A Preliminary Overview from Dutt to Dé

This article provides an overview of the long history of Indian pulp fiction in English, offering a tentative definition of the genre by identifying both qualitative and quantitative markers. Beginning with nineteenth-century romances, such as Toru Dutt's Bianca, K. K. Lahiri's Roshinara and K. Chakravarti's Sarata and Hingana, it moves forward to a consideration of twentieth-century pulp forms, including detective fiction, science fiction and fantasy fiction. It includes a more detailed account of the rise of Shoba Dé, discussing her work in relation to the phenomenon of Indian film and gossip magazines like Stardust, and of the fiction of Sujata Massey, “the creator of the Rei Shimura mysteries”. It argues that while Dé's work expresses the half-realized social and cultural issues of urban and metropolitan India, Massey's fiction is self-consciously topical within a cosmopolitan scenario.

Mathematical model for waste minimization of a bleach plant in paper industry

AbstractIn the present investigation a steady‐state mathematical model is developed for a typical four stage CEHH bleaching sequence in Indian Pulp and Paper Industry. Each stage of the sequence is composed of chemical additions and mixing, reaction in a retention tower, and washing. Unit operation models were formulated using mass balances on liquor, fibres, kappa number, chemicals and COD based on the assumption of perfect mixing and quasi steady‐state. The COD is used in this paper as an indication of the amount of effluent coming out from four bleaching stages. In order to validate the model, the simulated results are compared with the literature data; a good agreement is achieved between the simulated results with the literature data. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Effectiveness of Treatment Technologies for Wastewater Pollution Generated by Indian Pulp Mills

India has a large number of paper manufacturing units, with mills varying in size of operations and type of product, scattered all over the length and breadth of the country. Present study deals with the survey of four different pulp and paper mills (Mill A, Mill B, Mill C and Mill D) in India, differing in their scale of operation as well as raw material usage. Physico-chemical characterization of wastewaters produced by different processing units like digestor house liquors, bleaching section, paper machine backwaters, combined inlet to the ETP and outlet to ETP, for all the four mills, was conducted. Different parameters like pH, Color, COD, BOD, percent Na, SAR, TDS and Total hardness were analyzed and compared. Highly significant differences were thus found between all the processing units of all four mills with p values < 0.01. This evaluation showed that though these mills have effluent treatment facilities installed in their premises, improvements are still needed to increase their efficiencies for treating the discharged wastewaters.

Cost of corrosion/wear in Indian pulp and paper industry – a case study

A systematic survey of the cost of corrosion and wear has been carried out in a major pulp and paper plant in India. It is shown that the annual direct cost of corrosion and wear in the plant under consideration is £20 000. By extrapolation, the annual cost of corrosion in the entire pulp and paper industry in India is estimated to be £1·5 million. It is further shown that opting for an alternative, corrosion resistant material such as duplex stainless steel in the bleaching unit alone could lead to annual savings of almost £130 000.

Relationship between organisational value addition and environmental sustainability performance in an Indian pulp and paper manufacturing unit and its supply chain: a longitudinal case study

Organisations that improve 'value addition' by implementing several initiatives do not verify impact of these initiatives have on environment. The modern sustainability era, demands elimination of environmental impacts, i.e., a positive correlation is expected between value addition and environmental performance on long term basis. Many studies on Corporate Sustainability Management, based on the data at one point of time, did not examine above said relationship. This paper discusses the relationship between value addition and environmental sustainability using ten years data of an Indian Paper Mill. Analysis of the data reveals that there is a negative correlation between value addition and environmental sustainability over the ten-year period.