The people’s attitudes towards life and lifestyle are different and in particular most Sri Lankans are followers of age old traditions which sometimes provides an impetus to lead a good life, but in some cases they blindly follow these traditions, may be partly due to ignorance of the vast benefits that could be accrued through modern technology.
 |
| Asanka Prematilleke |
Those Sri Lankan communities who have taken to modern lifestyles and in an urban set up still reminisce of the sumptuous food they enjoyed earlier when they were in a rural set up where the food was cooked in clay pots and pans cooked on firewood. They also recalled the tastes of that traditional spicy food. The Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) in a bid to satisfy this traditional feeling recently coupled this with the most modern technology and now has perfected a product called the Red Clay Cookware (RCC).
Those unique inventions that are made by the teams of scientists and technologists of ITI have two things in mind – economic viability and how it would fit into the lifestyle of the local people. Thus the latest innovative invention of red-clay based cookware and floor tiles and wall tiles. In the case of cookware it has the potential of carving into the aluminum cookware market that enjoys a confortable demand of aluminum pots and pans of varying sizes and designs in a very big way. Particularly the red-clay pots and pans by ITI would attract Sri Lankans who love to cook their food in clay pots and pans on their gas and electric cookers, if they resemble attributes of modern simple convenient lifestyle.
 |
| Srilal Motha |
The scientists involved in this red-clay cookware project are Asanka Prematilleke, project leader; Ruwan C Wickramasinghearachchi, Technical Assistant and Premaratne Hettiarachchi, Student following M.Phil Course. Srilal Motha, Head, Materials Technology Section is also part of the team. Mr Motha said that they have commenced work on this ‘Red-clay based cookware (RCC) around 2 ½ years ago with a fund of Rs 5 million granted by the National Science Foundation, in the area of sustainable utilization of natural resources, after ITI application was accepted.
He said that red-clay is available in large quantities in various parts of Sri Lanka and found it to be under-utilized and they were finding ways and means to add value to red-clay. With this ‘find’ they embarked on developing floor and wall tiles, sanitary ware and cookware.
In the final results, Mr Motha said that they have developed tiles and cookware, in their laboratories. In the case of tiles the firing temperature is lower than that for normal ceramic tiles, while the quality of the tiles are same. He said that if the firing temperature is reduced there would be a substantial saving on the energy cost.
 |
| Ruwan Wickremasinghearachchi in the lab Pix by Athula Devapriya |
The major qualities of the end RCC are: high thermal shock resistance; lower wall thickness, and the suitability in any application. Another valiant advantage is – easy to clean. They can be used on electrical, gas and even on firewood. These clay utensils are glazed like the ceramic ware and is permanent.
The appearance of the clay cookware are nicer and very handy to use and housewives would love to use them when they are marketed.
The ITI invented cookware has several advantages compared to the earthen clay pots and pans and even the modern aluminum cookware and also when used there is a huge energy saving as the walls of these clay cookware is extra thin, but solid and strong. It is strong to the extent to resist overheating and sudden drop in the heat and sudden increase of the heat.
They are turned out using an eco-friendly production process (drain casting) in comparison to the aluminum casting process that generates high heat and chemical fumes which adversely affect the working environment.
The economic benefits are: the capital cost is low and production process is simple in comparison to aluminum casting. Relatively lower raw material cost with the red clay and other cost minerals making about 85% of the product.
 Project leader Mr Prematilleke said that they have selected good quality clay after analyzing the chemical composition and properties of the clay found in different parts of the country. Mr Motha said that all projects (products) are market oriented and they necessarily conduct market surveys to feel the pulse of the potential consumers and to make a rough estimate of the product in the marketplace, the quantum of profit, the initial capital cost and the break-even point as they are all essential since there would be technology transfer to the private sector. They are still comparing the cost differences.
He said that they have not found such an invention anywhere in the world and said that given the pluses of the RCC specially the eco-friendly manufacturing process and the belief that food cooked in clay pots and pans would be tastier, this novel product could even be sold in foreign markets.
Mr Motha said the exposure Business Times afforded to their novel eco-friendly Wood Preservative has attracted investors for the technological transfer. The Business Times assures its readers of the further line-up of innovative products by the ITI in the coming weeks. |
E-mail
