Improvement of Life Expectancy of Jute Based Needlepunched Geotextiles Through Bitumen Treatment

Ghosh, Swapan K.; Gupta, Karan; Bhattacharyya, Rajib; Sahu, Rakesh P.; Mandol, S.

doi:10.1007/s40034-014-0036-y

Cited by 9 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Additionally, paraffin wax seeping through pores from both surfaces could have further constricted the pores. This hypothesis is consistent with previous findings, where the durability of jute geotextiles was studied in soil, and the authors noticed that impregnation of nonwoven jute samples with bitumen reduced jute pore sizes because of the formation of a superimposing bitumen binder layer on the surface of both sides of the jute fabric 70 .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Nature-inspired wax-coated jute bags for reducing post-harvest storage losses

Odokonyero

Gallo

Mishra

2021

Sci Rep

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Post-harvest storage of grains is crucial for food and feed reserves and facilitating seeds for planting. Ironically, post-harvest losses continue to be a major food security threat in the developing world, especially where jute bags are utilized. While jute fabrics flaunt mechanical strength and eco-friendliness, their water-loving nature has proven to be their Achilles heel. Increased relative humidity and/or precipitation wets jute, thereby elevating the moisture content of stored seeds and causing fungal growth. This reduces seed longevity, viability, and nutritional value. To address this crucial weakness of jute bags, we followed a nature-inspired approach to modify their surface microtexture and chemical make-up via alkali and wax treatments, respectively. The resulting wax-coated jute bags (WCJBs) exhibited significant water-repellency to simulated rainfall and airborne moisture compared to control jute bags (CJBs). A 2 months-long seed storage experiment with wheat (Triticum aestivum) grains exposed to 55%, 75%, and 98% relative humidity environments revealed that the grains stored in the WCJBs exhibited 7.5–4% lesser (absolute) moisture content than those in the CJBs. Furthermore, WCJBs-stored grains exhibited a 35–12% enhancement in their germination efficacy over the controls. This nature-inspired engineering solution could contribute towards reducing post-harvest losses in the developing world, where jute bags are extensively utilized for grain storage.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Nature-inspired wax-coated jute bags for reducing post-harvest storage losses

Odokonyero

Gallo

Mishra

2021

Sci Rep

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“…Consequently, paraffin wax seeping through pores from both surfaces could eventually clog some pores. This hypothesis is consistent with the findings of Ghosh et al 62 , who studied the durability of jute geotextiles in soil; they noticed that impregnation of nonwoven jute samples with bitumen reduced jute pore sizes because of the formation of a superimposing bitumen binder layer on the surface of both sides of the jute fabric. Additional studies on the efficacy of this approach, in which different seed types, storage durations, and temperatures are applied, as well as on the exposure of WCJBs to running water (time-dependent changes in wetting) 60 , are required to explore strengths and weaknesses of this approach.…”

Section: Seed Storage Experimentssupporting

confidence: 92%

Engineered Jute Bags for Storing Food Grains within Harrington’s Safe Zone of Seed Moisture Content

Odokonyero

Mishra²,

Ag³

2021

Preprint

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<p>Harrington’s thumb rule states that for every 1% increase in seed moisture content (SMC), seed lifetime decreases by 50%. Thus, to avoid post-harvest grain losses, stored seeds must be insulated from water. Although the jute bags typically used to store grains afford an ecofriendly, durable, and low-cost storage solution, their hydrophilic nature makes them vulnerable to wetting from airborne humidity and precipitation events. To address this issue, we treated jute fabrics with alkali and wax to render them water-repellent. A 2-month seed storage experiment revealed that wax-coated jute bags (WCJBs) outperformed control jute bags (CJBs) at safeguarding wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i>) grains exposed to 55%–98% relative humidity. Specifically, grains stored in WCJBs exhibited 15%–50% less SMC than grains stored in CJBs, which led to a 21%–66% enhancement in the germination efficacy of WCJB-stored seeds. This engineering solution could enhance the potential of jute bags to reduce post-harvest losses.</p>

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