CL352 Lab Project

S3 – Process calculations and safety.

Making a cardboard box from rice husk.
Group J | 17110118 | 17110098 | Submission date: 02/03/2020
Typeface: Palatino Linotype.

Problem statement: The ultimate goal of the project is to produce a cardboard box of
a thickness of about 4 mm to pack a 250 ml coffee mug. The cardboard box must
have an IITGN logo on it and the students must test the box for its strength and
compare it with a commercial packaging box of equivalent dimensions. Rice husks
can be purchased or can be obtained from neighbouring villages.

I. Process calculations

Determination of Lignin content and Kappa number

We use the method mentioned in [8, Hussain, et al.]

Let, v be the titre value (ml), P be the permanganate number, K be the corrected
Kappa number, L be the Lignin content (%), F be the correction factor, w be the
weight of raw rice husk mixed with water (gm), T R be the reaction temperature
(Celsius), To be the ambient temperature.

A] For raw material:

P = 75 - v
K = FP/w
L = 0.155K 

Here, we take the correction factor F = 0.5.

A] For pulp samples:

P = 40 - v
K = F(P-1.8(TR - To))
L = 0.147K

Again, F = 0.5.
Material Quantities for preparation of pulp

The maceration fluid is prepared by mixing 1 part of 30% hydrogen peroxide

solution, 4 parts of distilled water, and 5 parts of glacial acetic acid, by volume.

Estimate - Materials required

Volume required for 15 g experimental samples = 80 ml
Number of samples = 7
Volume of rice husk box = 17*12*12 = 2448 cc
Thickness of box = 4 mm
Volume of material used per sheet = 2*0.4*(2*17+3*12 + 3*12) = 1008 cc
Box material volume = Sheet material volume - wastage = 1008 - 4(12*12*0.4) = 777.6
cc
Density of rice husk= 0.37 g/cc (general estimate)
Mass of box = 0.37*777.6 = 287.71 g
No. of trials = 3 [Safe-side assumption]
Total mass = 287.71*3+(7*15) = 863.136 + 105 = 968.136  g 
Expected wastage of rice husk by mass = Total mass = 968.136 g
Amount of mass soaked = 968.136*2 = 1936.272 g 
Volume of macerating liquid required = 1936.272*80/15 = 10326.784 ml = 10.33 l
Volume of 30% hydrogen peroxide = 1*10326.784/(1+4+5) = 1.033 l
Density of 30% hydrogen peroxide =1.110 g/cm3
Total mass of hydrogen peroxide solution= 1136 g
Mass of h2O2 = Total mass*0.3 = 340.78 g 
Moles of h2O2 = 10.023 moles
Mass of water = Total mass*0.7 = 795.22 g 
Volume of distilled water = 5*10.326784/(1+4+5) = 5.1634 l
Volume of acetic acid = 4*10.326784/(1+4+5) = 4.13 l
Density of acetic acid=1.05 g/cm³
Moles of Acetic acid = 4.13*1000*1.05/60 = 72.275 moles
Total moles of distilled water = 795.22/18 + (5.1634*1000*1/18) = 331.034 moles

The amount of heat required for evaporation, and other aspects of energy balance
would be obtained by experimental evidence. 
 II. Safety Aspects

Chemical Safety

Hydrogen peroxide and glacial acetic acid must be dealt with proper precautions
and care during the manufacturing process and titration. 

Hydrogen Peroxide [Source – MSDS attached in S1]

 
 May cause fire or explosion; strong oxidizer. Harmful if swallowed. Harmful
if inhaled. Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
 Keep away from heat, sparks, open flames, hot surfaces, clothing, combustible
materials 
 Do not breathe mist, vapours, spray.
 Wash exposed skin thoroughly after handling.
 Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
 Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
 Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection, face protection,
fire/flame resistant/retardant clothing.
Emergency measures:
 IF SWALLOWED: rinse mouth. Do NOT induce vomiting
 IF ON SKIN (or hair): Remove/Take off immediately all contaminated
clothing. Rinse skin with water/shower 
 If in eyes: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact
lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing 
 If on clothing: Rinse immediately contaminated clothing and skin with plenty
of water before removing clothes 
 In case of fire: Use carbon dioxide (CO2), powder, alcohol-resistant foam to
extinguish 
 If inhaled: Remove person to fresh air and keep comfortable for breathing 

Acetic Acid [Source – MSDS attached in S1]

Flammable liquid and vapor. Easily ignited by heat, spark or flames. Corrosive.
Causes severe burns to skin, eyes, and digestive tract. Mist or vapor extremely
irritating to eyes and respiratory tract.
Emergency measures:
 Inhalation: Remove to fresh air. If breathing is difficult, administer oxygen. If
the victim is not breathing, perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Get
medical attention immediately. 
  Ingestion: Do not induce vomiting. If vomiting occurs, keep the head low so
that vomit does not enter the lungs. Never give anything by mouth to an
unconscious person. Get medical attention immediately. 
 Skin Contact: Flush affected area with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes.
Remove contaminated clothing and shoes. Wash clothing before reuse. Get
medical attention immediately. 
 Eye Contact: Check for and remove contact lenses. Immediately flush eyes
with gentle but large stream of water for at least 15 minutes, lifting lower and
upper eyelids occasionally. Get medical attention immediate

Physical Safety

 Proper safety protocol must be followed during the manufacturing processes

and strength tests.

 Care must be taken while operating the equipment and proper safety attire
including hand-gloves, safety masks and shoes must be worn, esp. while
working with the reagents.

 Avoid contact with the rice husk, since it may induce itching.
 III. References & links

1. Jeetah, P., Golaup, N., & Buddynauth, K. (2015). Production of

cardboard from waste rice husk. Journal of Environmental Chemical
Engineering, 3(1), 52-59.
2. Project demonstrating the total use of rice husk as an agricultural by-
product for its industrial use in the automotive and packaging sector.
LIFE97 ENV/E/000259.
3. https://bizongo.com/blog/corrugated-box-testing/
4. Bursting Strength vs. Edge Crush Test Best Practices
5. https://www.instructables.com/id/Cardboard-Box-Template/
6. https://youtu.be/C5nNUPNvWAw
7. http://www.pulppapermill.com/kappa-number-of-pulp/
8. M. Hussain, S.M. Khan, S.M. Khan, M.A. Chohan; Effect of different
sterilization methods on the production of oyster mushroom
(Pleurotus ostreatus) on different substrates. Integrated plant disease
management. Proceedings of 3rd National Conference of Plant
Pathology, NARC, Islamabad, 1–3 October, 2001 (2002), pp. 159-160.
9. MSDs for the involved compounds, all attached with the S1 component.