CELLULOSE AND PAPER DIVISION
Cellulose and Paper Division, Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehra Dun has an impressive record in conducting research and development in the field of Pulp & Paper technology since 1909 when Sir William Raitt, the paper technologist, initiated studies on evolving the efficient and economic process for preparation of easy bleaching pulp from bamboo. As early as during 1960-62 extensive research work was carried out on suitability of tropical hard woods for paper making and with the outcome of research work at Cellulose & Paper Division FRI, on one hand, lot of Indian paper mills started using hard woods as a raw material for their paper production. Agriculture residues, grasses and plantation of fast growing species of hardwood were introduced by the division for the production of variety of papers. The division has worked for the production of high yield pulping process, improving of high yield pulps, bio–degradation of lignin, beater/wet additives, development of specialty paper and sponsored research projects from Indian Pulp & Paper Industry and Khadi & Village Industries Commission. The Cellulose & Paper Division FRI, is characterized besides by team of scientists and technicians, research infrastructure with a 6 tonne/day capacity R&D pilot plant. No R&D Institute in India has paper machine to conduct the trail on papermaking. Numbers of mills are based on the trails conducted on the Paper Machine in Cellulose and Paper Division. The 6.0 tpd capacity paper machine is unique in nature was installed and commissioned at the Division in the year 1958-59. The pilot plant was installed with an objective to study the pulping, bleaching and paper making. In the later years when the Indian Paper Industries have faced problem for raw materials, the work on the species like Eucalyptus, Poplar and Su-babul etc. had been carried out and significant contribution were made by Dr. R. V. Bhatt, Dr. S. R. D. Guha, Dr. Y. K. Sharma etc.. On the basis of studies carried out at pilot plant, numbers of paper mills have been set up in India. The paper machine has been utilized to develop variety of papers like writing, printing, industrial paper and specialty papers.
Pilot Plant Studies: Important contribution of pilot plant studies:
- Softwood: Production of Kraft paper from a mixture of conifers.
- Hardwoods: Production of wrapping paper, writing paper and kraft paper.
- Bamboo: Pulping and paper making characteristics of bamboo and bamboo dust for manufacturing of wrapping, writing and printing papers.
- Agricultural Residues: Manufacturing writing and printing paper from blends of rice straw, sabai grass soda pulp, bamboo and mixture of grasses.
- Beater/ wet-end additives: Vegetable gums as wet-end additive: Daicol CGSP, Daicol NG 49, Polytex-60. Evaluation of certain commercially available wet-end additives: Control expt., Guar gum HK, Daicol CP/5, Hybond FGW, Daicol CGSP, Higum pH, Higum PC, Daicol 8005/C, Daicol CS/50, Daicol CST, Guar gum HP, Higum PM, Daicol CSP/505, Guar gum BK, Guar gum BW, Tamarind seed powder, Control expt., Collpro LVB, Cellpro LSH.Wet-end additive experiment: TKP, Cat Maize (GTMAC), Cat Maize (DEAEC).
Development of specialty paper: Following specialty papers were developed:
- Mica paper for insulation tapes.
- Braille paper for National Institute for Visually Handicapped, Dehra Dun.
- High-grade tissue paper and process for the preservation of ancient documents.
- Absolute filter paper for Bhabha Atomic Research Center.
- Medium filter paper for seed germination tests.
- Electrical grade paper.
- Pyroline cellulose sheets for use in Defence, Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India.