Eco-friendly rubberized cotton fabric roller for ginning machines
Authors: Gurumurthy Vijayan Iyer, Nikos E. Mastorakis
Venue: Proceedings of the 6th WSEAS International Conference on Systems Theory & Scientific Computation (2006)

This paper realizes the hazards of chromium contamination and pollution caused by the use of Chrome Composite Leather-Clad (CCLC) rollers commonly used in cotton roller ginning industries and attempts to eliminate the chromium contamination and pollution during the complete process. The cotton roller ginning process is the mechanical separation of cotton fibres from their seeds by means of one or more rollers to which fibres adhere while the seeds are impeded and struck off or pulled loose. Most of the cotton ginning operations are done using roller gins. The roller coverings contain about 18000 to 30000 mg/kg (ppm) as total chromium of trivalent and hexavalent forms which are toxic on human health. When the seed-cotton is ginned, the ginned lint cotton adsorbs with it about 140 to 1990 mg/kg (ppm) as total chromium of trivalent and hexavalent forms. Cotton dust is a good adsorbant of Cr (III) and Cr (VI) from chrome Specific Dust (CSD) being powdered during ginning operation. Due to persistent rubbing of CCLC roller over the fixed knives, this carries with it 25 to 100 mg/kg (ppm) which according to eco-standards for yarn and fabric, should not be more than 0.1 mg/kg (ppm). The chromium contamination in cotton seeds and oil are 125 to 300 mg/kg (ppm) and corresponding eco-standard is 2 mg/kg. This causes chromium poisoning lead to skin disorders and liver damage on human and animal health. Subsequently the same or less amount is carried till textile of effluent which according to environmental standards should not be more than 2 mg/1. The traces found contain hexavalent chromium being adsorbed from chromium-contaminated lint, yarn, fabric, seeds and by products and textile effluent. The chromium concentration in suspended particulate matter (SPM) is 1994 mg/kg (ppm), which according to environmental standard should not be more than 2 ppm. The chromium content in respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) is 150 ppm. Gin and mill workers are exposed to this chromium pollution, is susceptible to health hazards. Toxic effects are produced by prolonged contact with airborne or solid or liquid chromium compounds even in small quantities. The three pollutants, viz., cotton dust, chromium and leather powder and/or other foreign matter, under favourable conditions of sunlight (photo energy), humidity, temperature and air movement interact and produce chrome specific dust (CSD) which is a serious pollutant due to synergistic interacting function. A human health survey is made among the workers of the cotton ginning industry and the people exposed to the contamination and pollution such as the children with working mother in order to study the occupational health and safety of the industry. Chromium poisoning is observed in animal liver due to the consumption of contaminated cotton seeds. To offset this problems, pollution-free rubberized cotton fabric rollers or eco-friendly rollers for commercial studies have been designed, fabricated and experimented in rollers gins. This controls and nullifies chromium contamination and pollution during the complete process. Cotton technological parameters are well proved for commercial acceptance.