STEER develops technology to make jute-filled polypropylene compounds

 
Commenting on the new technology, Dr Babu Padmanabhan, founder and managing director, STEER, said, “Scientists at STEER have now developed jute-filled polypropylene (PP) compounds, by incorporating up to 50 percent by weight of jute, utilising advanced co-rotating twin-screw platform technology with special patented fractional-lobe elements. The new material has formidable advantages - it is strong, flexible, and heat-resistant, not to mention that it is also an economical, lighter and eco-friendly reinforcing agent for plastics.”
 
India is one of the largest producers of jute in the world, with majority of jute producers concentrated in states such as West Bengal, Odisha and Bihar. According to government estimates, the jute industry provides direct employment to close to 0.37 million workers in organised mills and in diversified units including tertiary sector and allied activities and supports the livelihood of around 4.0 million farm families; this is in addition to the large number of people engaged in the trade of the natural fibre.

 
According to Dr Padmanabhan, there is a potential for a new sunrise industry to emerge, creating thousands of jobs, especially in jute rich resource states. “Jute polymers, if promoted aggressively by the Government and the industry, can have a ripple effect not only on the beleaguered jute sector, but the entire Indian economy by opening up a huge market opportunity for an industry that has historically been low on added value. If these Governments decide to play a pivotal role, they can convert their resource strength to their economic benefits,” he added.
 
The use of jute as a raw material has been at the low end of the value chain of the agriculture produce pyramid, compared to products such as sugarcane, coconut, coffee and tea which have become highly commercialised commodities delivering huge monetary benefits to producers and value adders alike. STEER believes that jute producers, especially small farmers, would be the biggest gainers because of market expansion triggered by jute polymers. The demand for jute would increase exponentially, triggering a cascading, beneficial effect on local rural economies of jute-producing states. This is significant because the jute industry has been grappling with challenges such as the rapid onslaught of plastic bags as a jute substitute.

 
Composite and compounded materials from man-made fibres (ie glass fibre, carbon fibre etc.) are already available as products for consumer and industrial uses. Jute is one such natural fibre that can reduce the impact on the environment. It is available in abundance, strong and is increasingly being referred to as the ‘fibre of the future’.
 
“Jute filled PP composites are being successfully used for various components and materials. India is still largely an agrarian economy, which needs to generate massive employment in rural areas for a rapidly growing population. Technological breakthroughs such as jute-filled PP compounds show the way for economic development of the masses by marrying technology and research with cash crops to create rural and industrial prosperity,” said STEER in a press release.

 
STEER is a creator of materials platform technology that effectively transforms and functionalises materials in the field of plastics, pharmaceuticals, food & nutraceuticals, biomaterials and bio-refining. With 33 patents for breakthrough innovations, STEER focuses on designing, creating and implementing advanced technologies, components, elements, peripherals and applications that help in the creation of safer, stronger, lighter, more sustainable products.