Question

Explain the following:

Weight losing raw material.

Answer 1

• These are raw materials that lose weight during the process of manufacturing.
• Such raw materials often cannot be transported over long distances because transporting bulky, heavy materials that lose weight during processing would be uneconomical.
• Industries using heavy and bulky raw materials that lose weight during production often locate near these raw materials to minimize transportation costs.
• An example is sugarcane in the sugar industry, which is a weight losing raw material because it takes about 100 tonnes of sugarcane to produce only 10-12 tonnes of sugar. Transporting sugarcane long distances is not viable because the cost becomes too high and the sugarcane may also deteriorate en route. Hence, sugar mills are located close to sugarcane cultivation areas.
• Similarly, iron and steel industries use heavy raw materials like iron ore and coal that lose weight in the process, so the plants are located near such sources.