Kangayam, semi arid and rain fed, is a vibrant town with agriculturists, and the lowest amount of Below Poverty line people compared to the national and state average at 3% of the people of around 50,000 people, was once upon a time, capital of Kongunadu for many centuries. Though it could not vie with Vijayanagara nor the Travancore, Kochi and Malabar Kingdom, it has People who are the most hospitable and generous in the Kongu hinterland. It is besieged by Coimbatore, [the Manchester of India for its cotton and textile mills, capital of pumps and wet grinders, motors] Tirupur, India’s hosiery centre accounting for 56% of the country’s hosiery exports, Karur, a handloom & crafty bed linings centre and Erode, a foremost agricultural and textile post. But more formidable is Kangayam’s contribution to Coir Pith and Coconut and Copra Oil, activated charcoal etc. It is one of the formidable Coconut hubs in southern India.
Kangayam instead of being traditional and obsolete have ventured into new technologies in many spheres. From 10,000 mt valued Rs 10 Cr in 2002, the Town produces around 1, 40,000 mt of Coir Pith garnering around Rs 200 Cr in foreign exchange. Coconut shell (Raw) export was 1986 mt valued Rs 3.04 Cr in 2009-10, while Coconut shell charcoal was 15,523 mt valued Rs 29.15 Cr. This town has a number of artisans who burn the Coconut shell in an unconventional way, which produces charcoal. This activity has subsided because of the ban order clamped by the Pollution Control Board officials, who have been threatening the manufacturers that they are letting Carbon di- oxide into the air, causing air Pollution.
In order to create a mechanism for up-gradation of technology and minimizing the carbon content air, the following procedure has been thought about. The project activity involves construction of a mechanized charcoaling plant for converting coconut shells to charcoal using gasification cum pyrolysis process and utilization of the energy of released gases to generate electricity. The charcoal production and the electricity generation capacity would increase with the implementation of each phase. The project activity would be using approximately 77,442 tonnes of coconut shells per year to produce approximately 26,400 tonnes of charcoal and subsequently generate 5.8 MW. This product can take off with the support of assistance to States for infrastructure development for Exports provided by the Commerce Ministry, GoI to the Tamilnadu Government, with Government of Tamilnadu putting 25% as their contribution so that around 1,000 people who are in the heating mechanically of coconut shell can find eventful employment.
What would be prodced would be Activated charcoal It looks like a fine black powder. Activated charcoal is believed to have a large adsorptive capacity, making it able to bind with unwanted substances and toxins in the gut.
Activated charcoal may help to lower cholesterol by interfering with enterohepatic circulation of bile acids. It has been found to lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
Activated charcoal is a supplement that is sold over-the-counter to treat several conditions including excess gas, high cholesterol, and preventing hangovers. Medicinal activated charcoal is also used in emergency medicine to treat certain types of poisoning. Activated charcoal is designed for medicinal use, and is not the same as the charcoal that is used in products that remove pet odors and in fish tank filters. Activated charcoal works to treat poisoning because it binds with some poisonous agents and helps them pass through the body without being absorbed. When activated charcoal is prescribed by a physician in this way it may be taken in several doses. However, as a supplement, activated charcoal has not been shown to be effective in treating other conditions such as excess gas, cholesterol or hangovers. The side effects from activated charcoal include constipation and black stools. Activated charcoal may also prevent some drugs from being absorbed by the body; therefore it should not be taken at the same time as other medications.. Use of coconut shell charcoal and coconut shell powder in the domestic and industrial sector greatly contributes to the environment. There is not much green gas emission while heating compared to coal. Activated carbon pellets, granular activated carbon, carbon, impregnated and activated carbon fibers usage should be limited to the extend without harming the environment
In addition to that, Coconut shell is the most sought after for up-gradation of low toughness, poor crack resistance in epoxy resin polymer, which is a thermosetting polymer used in aerospace, automobiles, sailboats, bicycles, motorcycles, structural engineering applications, main rotor blades, radio controlled helicopters, Think Pad laptops,etc. Coconut shell is organic in nature. The shell has high abrasion resistant properties and long standing in use. Small macro pores structure which renders it more effective for absorption of gas, vapour and for the colour, oxidants, impurities and odour of the compounds. These polymers are used in filling in holes, hair cracks, in natural stones, granites, etc. Coconut shell- natural fillers (coconut shell filler) for the development of new composites because of their high strength and modular properties. Composites of high strength coconut filler can be used in broad range of application as building material, marine cordages. Tensile and flexural properties of epoxy composites based on Coconut shell filler particles are less costly. Presently the demand for epoxy resin polymer us 3.03 million tonnes having a value of US $ 15 billion. China holds 30% of this export market. Epoxy resin(thermosetting polymer) has wide ranging of applications including fiber reinforced plastic materials and general purpose adhesives, coatings-power coatings for washers, driers, corrosion protection of Oil and Gas distilling, portable oil pipeline, concrete reinforcing (corrosion resistance). Coconut shell is presently used to improve the properties of expxy polymer. It has a huge off-take.
Big Corporate companies like 3M, Aditya Birla, DOW, Sumitomo, Dow Epoxy, and UPPC GmbH are manufacturing epoxy resin polymer. So also around 184 Indian companies in the medium sector.
Coconut shell may look ordinary but the value addition that can be given to make it for high end applications is something that the department of Industries and other organizations with Agriculture need to think. When Schemes like MNREGA with Crores of Rupees as corpus is conceived to provide financial inclusion amongst the weak, sustaining schemes which will make them really inclusive is not conceived. People are ready to work, but they do not have the environment to work. What we throw, or discard, can be a money spinner, assisting our people in the rural areas. Will Government take note of it?
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