--Frustum shaped clay ceramic water filters are being manufactured by the potters of the Thar Desert in India for household use. The clay composite consists of a homogeneous mixture of equal volume of clay and sawdust. A low-cost manual press, to form the clay composite into frustum shape, is developed by the present authors. This article elaborates critical investigation of the specific traditional clay-firing technique used, to achieve the required functionality and material property of the filters. Household based manufacturing of these filters is found to be markedly different from factory based production by firing process. The functional features of the clay ceramic filter, such as microbial filtration rate, flow rate, and compressive strength, are evaluated and presented. An E. coli bacteria removal efficiency of more than 99% is achieved using these clay ceramic water filters. Optimal filtration rates are achieved between ambient temperatures ranging from 30 o C -40 o C.
This paper elaborates manufacture and performance analysis of new clay ceramic (CC) water filtration materials. The CC is manufactured from clay and sawdust mix. Waste marble powder and machined iron fines are used as additives to the mix for manufacturing the new modified materials. An equal volume of clay and sawdust were used to manufacture the control CC. Another ceramic, marble clay ceramic (MCC), was manufactured with distinct volume fractions of clay, sawdust, and marble (40:40:10). Third ceramic, ferrous clay ceramic (FCC), was manufactured from an equal volume of clay and sawdust and five percent by volume of iron fines. FCC showcased better arsenic (As (V)) contaminant removal from water at acidic pH while MCC showcased best As (V) removal at around pH of 8. Average flexural strength of MCC was comparatively better than FCC and CC. The modified materials showcased similar percolation rates at par with control CC. MCC showcased comparatively better E. coli removal capabilities than FCC and CC. Only limited volumetric addition of marble powder and iron fines were found to positively affect compressive strength. The results demonstrate new low-cost ways of modifying strength and specific water treatment characteristics of CC using waste materials from local marble-processing and iron-machining industries.
Off-white water pots have had sustained traditional acceptance for a long period of time in Jodhpur compared to red colored water pots imported from the neighboring Gujarat state. Both types of pots hold 20 liters of potable water. The fluorescence spectroscopy reveals dominance of silica, alumina and iron oxide in red pots from Gujarat whereas off-white pots from Rajasthan also have a slight excess of CaO and MgO. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveals a firing temperature of 800 °C for off-white pots, which is comparatively less than that for red pots. A lower amount of Fe2O3 and higher MgO in off-white compared to red water pots is responsible for the color differentiation. Off-white pots show a better degree of cooling compared to red pots. Better resistance to load was observed in off-white pots compared to red pots. This study may imply influence of hidden techno-functional aspects towards sustainability of off-white pots in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Wood is generally used as a source of energy for cooking in rural and semi-urban areas of India. Approximately 216 million tons per year of wood is consumed in the cooking of which 9.731 million tons per year is used in Gujarat. The use of wood causes deforestation and increases indoor pollution. To reduce this, solar energy can be used as an alternate source of energy for cooking. The current research aims to present the findings of two weeks of experiments in the Indian (Gujarat) climate with the novel solar cooker. The cooker was build using a parabolic dish collector (85 % reflectivity) with a supporting structure and adjustable mechanism, a receiver (heat exchanger) and a cooking burner with a pot. The experimental result shows that the maximum temperature available at the receiver is 110°C with 560.7 W/m2 of average solar irradiation, justifying solar cooking as a viable alternative source of energy for cooking in Gujarat and India.
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