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www.chandpurpaper.com

www.dksinghal.in

Presented on November 14-15, 2025 at-

IPPTA Zonal Seminar-II, Vapi (Daman)

On-

BEYOND THE FLAMES–

Fire Safety Strategies and Innovations

for Secure and Sustainable Papermaking Operations

By:

D K Singhal

Chandpur Enterprises Ltd.

Exploring Ways to Enhance Fire Safety in Paper Mills by Innovative Strategies

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Fire Hazards

  • National level loss > 300 crore.
  • Nearly 0.3% to total national turnover!
  • What we usually hear after (almost) every fire mishap-
    • The fire fighting arrangements were inadequate.
    • Owners were careless about fire safety.
  • Formula is simple: BLAME THE VICTIM

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Conventional Action Plan

    • PROTECT
      • Policies
        • Restricting matchbox, bidi, cigarettes etc.
        • Restricting unauthorized access etc.
    • … GAP … We need to think!
    • FIRST AID
      • Fire Hydrants / Extinguishers / Alarms / Systems
    • MANAGE
      • Trained Manpower / Fire tender / Govt. support

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Where’s the GAP?

Focused Static Charge

Radiation

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All image credit:

Google search

Has your fire protection system

taken these into consideration?

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Questions…

  • Does physical shape play any role towards sensitivity towards fire?

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  • Why should fire prevention approaches be common for each and every location?

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Combustion Block Model

  • 17:1- One unit area can catch fire, heat is distributed to 17 adjacent units. (Safer)
  • 7:3- Three units area can catch fire, heat is distributed to 7 adjacent units. (Less Safe)

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  • Just a simple demo model.
  • Helps us to understand about the storage systems.
  • Further detailed research MUST be initiated.

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Storage

  • Can we reduce the area that is open to atmosphere?
    • Good stacking, walls around waste paper etc.
    • Temporary cover
  • For in-process material (rewinder trims etc.)
    • Containment is not possible
    • Static charge eliminators, climatic controls

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Calorific Value

  • Only calorific value does not describe the initiation of combustion properly.
  • For paper, it is considered that if a small part of paper attains a temperature of 2000C, it may initiate fire.

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  • Let’s explore the impact of moisture on ability of paper to initiate fire.

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Effect of Moisture

  • Heat required to increase temperature for 1 kg-
    • Dry paper: 1 x 0.25 x (200-40) = 40 kCal
  • If paper contains 10% moisture, then
    • For paper: 0.9 x 0.25 x (200-40) = 36 kCal
    • For water: 0.1 x 1.00 x (200-40) = 16 kCal
    • Latent Heat of Water: 540 X 0.1 = 54 kCal
    • Total 106 kCal
  • Surprisingly, at 20% moisture, it is… 282 kCal

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  • This gives a big clue for our problem.

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A Possible Approach

  • Reduces temperature
  • Increases humidity
  • Reduction in static charge

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  • More suitable for open areas.
  • May not suit for purchased pulp
  • Quality constraints for paper.

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Image credit: Google search

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No Spark Please…

  • Can the spark be-
    • stopped before it may harm?
    • killed at the very moment?
    • stopped from reaching our material?

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  • Exactly! We need a firewall to protect our systems.

-easy to install & remove

-low cost

-reusable (if possible)

-reliable

  • Proposed Firewall:
  • A wet paper sheet sealed both sides with plastic- that’s all.

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Firewall: Concept

  • Here, a 225gsm filter paper has been kept in a polythene bag, with some water poured on it.
  • If the bag is sealed, the moisture remains there within the bag. The polythene layer sticks well with the filter paper due to adhesion forces.
  • Any spark or even a welding spatter hitting this may not pass through easily in a condition that may initiate fire on the opposite side.

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Firewall Testing

  • To test the same, a sheet so prepared was kept horizontally on a metal ring (to avoid direct contact with the floor).
  • An empty ball point pen refill was burned about 300mm above it, so that the molten and burning material falls directly on test piece.
  • The experiment was performed on 40 gsm poster paper and the proposed firewall.

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Testing on Paper

  • Due to high humidity (>84%) during rainy season, even the paper took a few seconds to burn, but this video indicates that the paper can burn easily.
  • Out of precaution the flame spread was stopped by a blow.

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Few Photographs

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Top side of paper Bottom side of paper

Test Date: 06.08.2025

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Testing on Firewall

  • The same experiment was repeated with the firewall prototype.
  • As clear, the flame is not initiated easily.
  • Even the start of a minor flame is automatically extinguished- quickly.

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And, Photographs…

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Top side of firewall Bottom side of firewall

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Firewall

  • As indicated earlier…
  • Paper is special.

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कागज़ को जब भरपेट पानी पीने को मिल जाता है,

वही कागज़ तब स्वयं अग्निरोधी दीवार बन जाता है.

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Future Work

  • Initiate R&D on fire safety EXCLUSIVELY for paper mills.
  • Develop a charter for fire prevention in paper mills.
  • Share knowledge and information with all paper professionals.
  • Collectively aim for a “NO FIRE ACCIDENT” goal for paper mills.

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THANK YOU!

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www.dksinghal.in