SOME INVESTIGATION ON MAKING SEEDLAC FROM STICKLAC
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Date
2019
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Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur (C.G.)
Abstract
Lac is a natural, renewable and non-toxic resin. It is only resin of animal origin, produced by colonies of tiny insect known as Kerria lacca (Kerr) flourish on branches of host trees viz. Butea monosperma (palas), Ziziyphus mauritiana (ber), Schleichera oleosa (kusum), Flemingia semialata etc. Lac can be harvested from the trees either in the form of ari or phunki i.e. either before or after completion of the insect life cycle. Lac is a source of 3 basic materials viz. resin, wax and dye.
In India about 3 million farmers are involved in lac cultivation. Lac is highly lucrative crop, paying high economic returns to farmers. With more than 20,000 tons/year of annual production, India is the largest producer of lac in the world. Indian lac is the best in quality. Apart from India, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam and China also produce lac. In India Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Gujrat are leading states in producing lac, while major states for its processing are Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The basic raw material for lac industry is sticklac, which is used for making seedlac, shellac, bleached lac and other value-added products. About 10,000 tons of various grades of lac is exported from India to over 50 countries.
Manufacturing of lac bangles, sealing wax, varnish for wooden furniture units are being run by women. Such units can be developed in village itself and provide opportunity for women for their livelihood. Lac has a wide range of applications in area such as fine chemicals for perfumery industry, food and pharmaceutical industries, electrical industry etc.
After harvesting from trees, lac is in the form of lac stick. Lac stick is converted into sticklac and then into commercial grade seedlac through primary processing. Primary processing of lac involves 5 major operations viz. crushing, grading, washing, drying and winnowing. An experimental set-up was developed for washing of sticklac. Seedlac from sticklac were prepared using small scale lac processing unit at different barrel shaft speeds (65, 130 and 195 RPM) with different quantities of washing agent @ (1.00, 2.13 and 4.25 g/kg) of sticklac. The dependent variables of seedlac were determined namely yield, flow, life, acid value, colour index, impurity and moisture content. The yield of seedlac samples was calculated to be 81.50 %. The flow, life, acid value, colour index, impurity and moisture content were investigated and found to be 95.00 mm, 67.00 minutes, 75.15, 8.50, 1.05 % and 1.16 % respectively. It was found that, an increase in barrel shaft speed reduces the yield percentage and reduce the impurity percentage. Colour index was found to be reduced up to 5th batch of washing. Lower colour index fetching higher price of seedlac.
Seedlac was also prepared using different water quality (Normal, 25, 75, 150 and 250 ppm hardness) with washing agent @ 1 g/kg of sticklac. The mean yield ranges from 77.89 to 82.45 %. The other quality parameters such as flow, life, acid value, colour index, impurity and moisture content were investigated and found to be ranges from 66.00- 95.00 mm, 58.00- 67.00 minutes, 68.40- 73.96, 12 off shade to 26 off shade, 1.48- 3.02 % and 1.37- 2.29 % respectively. It was found that as an increment in hardness of water the yield percentage was also increased but other quality parameters of seedlac were found to be satisfied using normal water in sticklac washing.
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