CALCUTTA, February 5: Indian Jute Industries Research Association (Ijira), the research and development wing of Indian Jute Mill Association, has developed a jute composite, a substitute for wood.This was announced by institute director K Jayachandran at a press conference on Wednesday. He told reporters that a number of entrepreneurs are willing to make this product.
"Already five entrepreneurs have availed the soft loan incentive scheme under the United Nations Development Programme for promotion of jute diversified goods. They have started commercial production. Another 10 are working on the project and will soon start commercial production," Jayachandran said. Apart from the traditional use of jute as a packaging material, it is also being used as a textile item.
The jute composite is a non-textile product. Here jute fibre in the form of sliver, twine or fabric is mixed with a synthetic resin to produce a hard material stronger than fibre glass and asbestos.
Jayachandran said jute composites canbe a perfect replacement for wood and plywood.
"Our forest resources are being depleted continuously to make wood available for different applications like furniture, doors, windows and packaging. So from the environment point of view there is an urgent need to protect our forests and jute composites can play an important role here," he said.
Chemically both jute and wood are lignocellulosic with almost similar compositions, although they differ in physical appearance -- one is solid and rigid and the other is a flexible fibre. This flexibility helps mould the fibre into various forms, which substantially reduces cost and wastage.
Apart from furniture, doors and windows and a plywood subsititute, jute composites can be used to make railway coaches, low cost houses, partition walls and moulded and pultruded products.
Jayachandran said that in comparison to wood, jute composites are a bit costlier but has a longer durability.
"Cost of a jute composite product is about 20 per cent higher than a woodproduct but its life is about 30 years more. This is the advantage of using a jute composite product," the director said.
Five companies which have started manufacturing jute composites under the assistance scheme of UNDP are Aurobindo Laminations of Nagpur, Duroflex Ltd from Bangalore, Fibre Composites & Pulp Pvt Ltd from Calcutta, Tipco Industries from Mumbai and the West Bengal state government undertaking, Plywood & Allied Products Ltd.
The next 10 entrants are being financially assisted by National Centre for Jute Diversification under the Jute Entrepreneurs' Assistance Scheme. Of them the city-based A B Composites Pvt Ltd is already manufacturing components for railway coaches, like floor board, ceiling walls and wall panels.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
