Agricultural Engineering Today
Year : 2000, Volume : 24, Issue : 3
First page : ( 70) Last page : ( 74)
Print ISSN : 0970-2962.

Status of mechanisation and scope of improvement in making seedlac

Prasad Niranjan¹, Scientist, Kumar K.K.², Principal Scientist & Director, Pandey S.K.², Scientist, Bhagat M.L.¹, Scientist

¹ T.O.T. Division, Indian Lac Research Institute, Ranchi-834010.

² L.P.P.D. Division, Indian Lac Research Institute, Ranchi-834010.

Abstract

Lac is a natural resin possessing a rare combination of many valuable and desirable properties and consequently finding place in diverse and innumerable uses, Lac encrustation separated from twigs is known as sticklac. It contains impurities and foreign matters which are upto a large extent removed in the process of making seedlac. The seedlac is made either through conventional process or mechanised process. Seedlac making involves four major unit operations - crushing, washing, drying and winnowing. In small factories these operations are carried out either manually or in some cases machines are used as an aid to human labour. The paper discusses the unit operations involved in making seedlac, machines used for the unit operation and scope of further development.

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