Significant Contributions

SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS:

The ICAR-NINFET plays a pivotal role in the post-harvest technology of natural fibres, their processing, value addition and research and development support. Post-harvest fibre extraction is one of the key mandates since establishment of the Institute. Initially Jute was the only mandated crop for post-harvest processing and value addition. Gradually lignocellulosic fibres allied to jute and animal fibres have been incorporated in the mandate. Following are the enumeration of the contribution of the Institute during its 84 years of journey.

Major achievements:

Some of the major achievements of the institute are outlined below.

Retting, Extraction and Up gradation of fibre

• NINFET-Sathi retting technology for accelerated retting of jute. The technology has been transferred and commercialized by a firm.
• Special fungal culture in solid carrier for upgrading the barky jute.
• Water saving jute retting technology and ribboner development.

Quality Improvement and Evaluation of fibre

• Grading of raw jute and implementation accepted as the main foundation base of quality evaluation of raw jute by bureau of Indian Standards (IS: 271-1975)
• Grading aid instrument viz. Bundle Strength Tester, Airflow Fineness Tester, Colour&Lustre Meter and Bulk Density Meter.

Products from jute stick and other lignocellulosic stock

• Particle boards from jute stick by chemi-mechanical process using natural or synthetic binders for false ceiling, partition wall, packing materials, furniture.
• Different grads of paper and board by pulping of jute and jute waste with other raw materials suitable for making file covers, box, boards etc.
• Pulp and paper from Date Palm leaves
• Newsprint from whole plant by mesta chemi- mechanical process.

Composite

• Medium/high density boards using jute nonwovens as substrates for substitute of wood
• Composite board from jute whole plant and bamboo.
• Jute reinforce corrugated sheet as light roofing material to substitute glass fibre reinforced plastic.

InsInstruments &Equipments

• Automatic fibre bundle strength tester
• Digital fibre fineness meter
• Digital moisture meter
• Thermal insulation taster
• Jute yarn hairiness meter
• Ultrasonic Emulsifier
• Thermal insulation value taster
• Mechanization of fibre extraction process
• Jute handloom with dobby and jacquard attachment
• Rigidity tester for semi-rigid fabric
• ProProcessing machines

Technology Developed/ Commercialized/ Transferred: