Problem
After harvest, farmers burn the residue — rice straw, bran and husk — because the next crop must be sown within about two weeks and burning is the only clearance method fast and cheap enough. It drives seasonal air pollution and strips the soil of organic matter.
Solution
Pyrolyse rice husk into a lignin-rich bio-oil and test it as a partial replacement for petroleum bitumen in road surfacing, targeting 10-20% substitution while holding IS 73 penetration and softening-point limits.
Harvesting waste is being burned
After harvesting, farmers burn waste such as rice bran and husk. This creates air pollution and soil erosion.
A material-use opportunity
The team sees this harvesting waste as a possible input for making bio-bitumen.
Research before building
At the research and validation stage, the team will first examine whether harvesting waste can be converted into bio-bitumen.
