Use of rice husk ash as filler in natural rubber vulcanizates: In comparison with other commercial fillers

Rice husk ash is mainly composed of silica and carbon black remaining from incomplete combustion. Both silica and carbon black have long been recognized as the main reinforcing fillers used in the rubber industry to enhance certain properties of rubber vulcanizates, such as modulus and tensile strength. In this study, two grades of rice husk ash (low‐ and high‐carbon contents) were used as filler in natural rubber. Comparison was made of the reinforcing effect between rice husk ashes and other commercial fillers such as talcum, china clay, calcium carbonate, silica, and carbon black. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis was employed to study the presence of functional groups on the ash surface. The effect of silane coupling agent, bis(3‐triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfane (Si‐69), on the properties of ash‐filled vulcanizates was also investigated. It was found that both grades of rice husk ash provide inferior mechanical properties (tensile strength, modulus, hardness, abrasion resistance, and tear strength) in comparison with reinforcing fillers such as silica and carbon black. However, the mechanical properties of the vulcanizates filled with rice husk ash are comparable to those filled with inert fillers. The addition of silane‐coupling agent has little effect on the properties of the ash‐filled vulcanizates. This is simply due to the lack of silanol groups on the ash surface. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 2485–2493, 2002     

Application of rice husk ash as fillers in the natural rubber industry

Rice husk ash (RHA) obtained from agricultural waste, by using rice husk as a power source, is mainly composed of silica and carbon black. A two‐stage conventional mixing procedure was used to incorporate rice husk ash into natural rubber. For comparison purposes, two commercial reinforcing fillers, silica and carbon black, were also used. The effect of these fillers on cure characteristics and mechanical properties of natural rubber materials at various loadings, ranging from 0 to 40 phr, was investigated. The results indicated that RHA filler resulted in lower Mooney viscosity and shorter cure time of the natural rubber materials. The incorporation of RHA into natural rubber improved hardness but decreased tensile strength and tear strength. Other properties, such as Young's modulus and abrasion loss, show no significant change. However, RHA is characterized by a better resilience property than that of silica and carbon black. Scanning electron micrographs revealed that the dispersion of RHA filler in the rubber matrix is discontinuous, which in turn generates a weak structure compared with that of carbon black and silica. Overall results indicate that RHA can be used as a cheaper filler for natural rubber materials where improved mechanical properties are not critical. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 34–41, 2005     

Effect of silica and rice husk ash fillers on the modulus of polysiloxane networks

The preparation of polymethylvinylsiloxane rubbers with silica (SC) and black rice husk ash (BRHA) as fillers is reported. We conducted stress–strain experiments on these vulcanized rubbers to study the reinforcement properties of the fillers. Curves showing the dependence of the stress on the reciprocal of the elongation ratio displayed, in most cases, a slow upturn starting at rather low values of the elongation ratio attributed to a rather wide distribution of chain lengths between crosslinking points. Physical crosslinks between the hydroxyl groups of SC fillers and the polymer matrix seemed to enhance the modulus. BRHA–polymer interactions were rather weak in comparison with those occurring between SC and the polymer, presumably as a consequence of the carbon coating of the surface of the former fillers. These interactions were even less important for calcined BRHA. The absence of voids in the polymer–filler interfaces was proven by the analysis of gas diffusion across the rubbers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 421–429, 2003     

Influence of silica and black rice husk ash fillers on the diffusivity and solubility of gases in silicone rubbers

The preparation of elastomeric compositions based on poly(methylvinyl siloxane) using silica and rice husk ash as fillers is reported. Permeation of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and methane across the compositions was measured in the temperature interval 30-60° C under upstream pressures lying in the range 15-76 cm Hg. Permeation and diffusion coefficients were independent on the upstream pressure but both parameters were thermal activated processes described by the Arrhenius equation. It was found that the activation energy associated with the diffusion process is larger in the filled than in the unfilled rubbers. The results also showed that the fillers enhance gas solubility in polysiloxane compounds in such a way that in most situations the sorption process is exothermic. The analysis of the solubility and diffusivity of gases in the rubbers suggests very good adherence matrix-fillers that hinder micro-Brownian motions thus impeding the normal development of non-permanent holes through which the diffusive particles can easily jump. Neither the proportion nor the nature of the fillers alters the permselectivity characteristics of polysiloxane based compounds.     

稻壳灰在橡胶工业中的应用

概述稻壳灰在橡胶和热塑性弹性体(TPE)中的应用,并对目前存在的问题进行分析,指出今后的研究方向.稻壳灰是稻壳燃烧后的产物,主要成分为二氧化硅.稻壳灰具有来源丰富、价廉和废物回收利用的特点,在橡胶和TPE中可以作为填料使用,其补强作用需在低填充量条件下或经过处理后才能显示出来.今后应加强其性质、表面改性方法和生产工艺对其性质的影响等方面的研究.     

Determination of filler content in rice husk ash and wood-based composites by thermogravimetric analysis

Three new types of fillers for polypropylene are investigated. The first two were derived from burnt rice husk ash (RHA), whereas the third, a wood-based filler, was processed from oil palm trunk. One important characterization of the composites involves the checking for the actual filler content and filler distribution within the matrix. An analytical technique is described here for computation of the filler content in the composites based on a simple expression derives from thermogravimetric analyses. For filler with volatiles such as the black RHA, the derived expression was p _f = 106 ( r _b / m _c ), and for easily burnt fillers (wood-based), the expression was p _f = 156 ( m _d / m _c ). The technique has shown good agreement and consistency between analyzed and actual filler contents and a uniform filler distribution within the polypropylene matrix. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A comparison of white rice husk ash and silica as fillers in ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer vulcanizates

White rice husk ash (WRHA) and silica filled ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer (EPDM) vulcanizates were prepared using a laboratory size two‐roll mill. Curing characteristics and physical properties of vulcanizates were studied with respect to the filler loading and filler type. Filler loading was varied from 0–50 parts per hundred resin (phr) at 10 phr intervals. Curing was carried out using a semi‐efficient vulcanization system in a Monsanto rheometer. Enhancement of the curing rate was observed with increasing WRHA loading, whereas the opposite trend was observed for silica‐filled vulcanizates. It was also indicated by the maximum torque and Mooney viscosity results that WRHA offers processing advantages over silica. Compared to the silica‐filled vulcanizates, the effect of filler loading on the physical properties of WRHA‐filled vulcanizates was not significant. According to these observations, WRHA could be used as a diluent filler for EPDM rubber, while silica can be used as a reinforcing filler. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

A comparison of the properties of rice husk ash,silica, and calcium carbonate filled 75 : 25 NR/EPDM blends

The effects of incorporation of three different fillers, i.e., rice husk ash (RHA), silica, and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), over a loading range of 0–60 phr on the curing characteristics, processability, mechanical properties, and morphology of 75 : 25 natural rubber (NR)/ethylene‐propylene‐diene monomer (EPDM) blends were studied using a conventional vulcanization system. Filler loading and type influence the processability of the blends in which RHA and CaCO₃ offer better processing advantage over silica. The best improvement in the tensile and tear strength and abrasion resistance of the 75 : 25 NR/EPDM blends with additional fillers was achieved when filled with silica. However, RHA and CaCO₃ were better in resilience property compared to that of silica. The RHA filled blends showed higher failure properties and abrasion resistance but lower ozone resistance than that containing CaCO₃. Scanning electron micrographs revealed that the morphology of the blend filled with silica is finer and more homogenous compared to the blend filled with RHA and CaCO₃. According to these observations, RHA can be used as a cheaper filler to replace CaCO₃ in rubber blends where improved mechanical properties are not so critical. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Competitive adsorption of phenol and resorcinol onto rice husk ash

The present study deals with the adsorptive removal of phenol and resorcinol from aqueous solution onto rice husk ash. The competitive adsorption equilibrium of the binary mixtures (phenol/resorcinol) was determined by conducting batch experiments with initial concentration varying in the range of 50 to 1000 mg/L. In order to evaluate multicomponent adsorption isotherm parameters, individual adsorption equilibrium studies were also carried out. Langmuir, Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson equilibrium isotherm models were used for single compound equilibrium sorption data modeling. All three models almost similar fit for single compound equilibrium data. Binary equilibrium adsorption data and the parameter evaluated from single adsorption data were fitted to various multicomponent isotherm models by minimizing the sum of square of error. The extended Langmuir model gave the better fit to the experimental adsorption data of phenol and resorcinol from binary systems onto rice husk ash. It seems that both phenol and resorcinol compete for the same adsorption sites on rice husk ash. The net interactive effect of phenol and resorcinol on the adsorption of resorcinol by rice husk ash was found to be antagonistic.     

Reaction product of lime and silica from rice husk ash

Rice husk ash (about 95% silica) with known physical and chemical characteristics has been reacted with lime and water. The setting process for a lime-excess and a lime-deficient mixture has been investigated. The product of the reaction has been shown to be a calcium silicate hydrate, C-S-H(I)⁺ by a combination of thermal analysis, XRD and electron microscopy. Formation of C-S-H(I) accounts for the strength of lime-rice husk ash cement.     

Synthesis of ZSM-5 zeolite and silicalite from rice husk ash

Local rice husk was precleaned and properly heat treated to produce high purity amorphous SiO₂ for use in the synthesis of ZSM-5 zeolite and silicalite by hydrothermal treatment (150 °C) of the precursor gels (pH 11) under autogenous pressure in a short reaction time (4–24 h). A wide range of SiO₂/Al₂O₃ molar ratios (30–2075) and a small template content were employed to fully exploit the potential of rice husk ash (RHA). The mineralogical phases, morphology, specific surface area and pore volume of the synthesized products were investigated by XRD, FT-IR, SEM and BET analyses, respectively. Under the employed conditions, it was found that the gels with a low range of SiO₂/Al₂O₃ molar ratios (<80) produced an amorphous phase to poorly crystalline ZSM-5 zeolite; those with a medium range (80–200) favored well crystalline ZSM-5 zeolite production with a large surface area; whilst those with a high range of SiO₂/Al₂O₃ molar ratios (>200) yielded silicalite. The increase in Na₂O content, which was derived from the addition of NaAlO₂ to attain the desired SiO₂/Al₂O₃ molar ratio of the gel, did not significantly enhance the crystallization rate, crystallinity, or yield of products. On the contrary, these properties were greatly affected by the increase in the SiO₂/Al₂O₃ molar ratio.     

Hydrothermal conversion of rice husk ash to faujasite-types and NaA-type of zeolites

The faujasite-type of zeolites (NaX and NaY) and NaA-type of zeolite were synthesized from rice husk ash (RHA) via the hydrothermal conditions. The combustion of rice husk at controlled temperature of 600 °C for an hour in open air produce more than 90% of amorphous silica in the ash which was reactive towards the synthesis of zeolites. The formation of zeolite NaY from RHA is metastable and thus, the seeding and ageing effects in the synthesis of zeolite NaY were investigated to avoid the formation of zeolite A or P as the impurities in zeolite NaY. Zeolites NaX and NaA were also successfully synthesized with high purity, absence of impurities and other phases, and high reproducibility. Thus, the amorphous forms of silica in RHA can be used as a source of silica for the synthesis of faujasite-types and NaA-type of zeolites.     

Hydration and microstructure of ultra high performance concrete incorporating rice husk ash

Rice husk ash (RHA) and silica fume (SF) have a similar chemical composition and a very high specific surface area, but RHA is not an ultra-fine material like SF. The high specific surface area of RHA originates from its internal porosity. For this reason RHA can be expected to behave differently from SF in terms of the hydration and the resulting microstructure of concrete. This still remains unclear in Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC). The objective of this research was to study the effect of RHA on the hydration and microstructure development of UHPC. The results are compared to those obtained with a control sample and a sample made with SF.The results show that the addition of RHA can increase the degree of cement hydration in UHPC at later ages. RHA can also refine the pore structure of UHPC and reduce the Ca(OH)₂ content, but less significantly than SF. The thickness of the interface transition zone (ITZ) between sand particles and cement matrix of all samples is very small at the age of 28 days. The compressive strength of the sample made with RHA after 7 days was higher than that of the control sample and the sample made with SF. It is suggested that the porous structure of RHA and the uptake of water in this porous structure results in a kind of is attributable to the internal water curing of the RHA modified mixture.     

Mechanical properties and thermal stability of rice husk ash filled epoxy foams

Mechanical properties and thermal stability of epoxy foams filled with white and black rice husk ash were studied. Epoxy foams were prepared from a commercial system and filled with different amounts of both the ashes (0, 6.8, 12.8, 18.0, and 22.7 wt %). The incorporation of both the ashes modified the final morphology of the foam, decreasing the average cell size and increasing the number of cells per volume unit. For all filler percentages used, the specific modulus and strength results showed that the white ash is more effective as reinforcing agent than the black ash. The initial degradation temperature was not affected by the content and type of ash used as the filler. The integral procedure decomposition temperature, weight loss, and char residue results were related to the ash type and atmosphere used in the thermogravimetric analysis. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2006     

Preparation and characterization of ceramic composites derived from rice husk ash and polysiloxane

Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) were prepared from a polysiloxane network filled with rice husk ash (RHA), a reactive filler. CMCs were obtained by pyrolysis at 1000 and 1600 °C of green bodies prepared from a mixture of polysiloxane network and RHA at a weight ratio of 4:1, respectively. The RHA and the CMCs were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), in addition to density and mechanical measurements. The CMCs were obtained without macroscopic defects, and their initial observed porosity was reduced by polymeric infiltrations cycles of the polymeric precursor, which improved their flexural strength and modulus up to 100%.     

Study on the pozzolanic properties of rice husk ash by hydrochloric acid pretreatment

The pozzolanic properties of rice husk ash by hydrochloric acid pretreatment are reported in the paper. Three methods have been used to estimate the pozzolanic activity of rice husk ash. The heat evolution and the hydration heat of cement, the Ca(OH)₂ content in the mortar and the pore size distribution of mortar are determined. It is shown that compare with the rice husk ash heated untreated rice husk, the sensitivity of pozzolanic activity of the rice husk ash heated hydrochloric acid pretreatment rice husk to burning conditions is reduced. The pozzolanic activity of rice husk ash by pretreatment is not only stabilized but also enhanced obviously. The kinetics of reaction of rice husk ash with lime is consistent with diffusion control and can be represented by the Jander diffusion equation. A significant increase in the strength of the rice husk ash (pretreated) specimen is observed. The results of heat evolution indicate that the rice husk ash by pretreatment shows the behavior in the increase of hydration of cement. The cement mortar added with the rice husk ash by pretreatment has lower Ca(OH)₂ content after 7 days and the pore size distribution of the mortar with the rice husk ash with pretreatment shows a tendency to shift towards the smaller pore size.     

A facile route for the preparation of silica foams using rice husk ash

This work aims to synthesize silica foam with around 75 vol. % open porosity without using any additive or pore forming agents, in order to prevent the generation of greenhouse gases during pore formation in the silica matrix. Waste rice husk ash (RHA) derived silica is used as a silica source, which is extracted through the alkali extraction synthesis route. Several physical characterizations such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential thermal-thermogravimetric (DTA-TGA) and FTIR analysis have been done for RHA extracted silica. Silica foam specimens are fabricated through control compaction pressure and at low foaming temperature. Samples which are fired at 550°C for 30 minutes exhibit both a adequate apparent porosity (AP; ~75.82%) and significant compressive strength (~1.54 MPa). It can also be observed that the porosity and strength values are changed with the variation in compaction pressure and foaming temperature.     

Influence of rice husk ash and wollastonite on plasticizer migration in polyvinyl chloride system

The influence of rice hull ash and wollastonite on the migration problem of plasticizer EDOS from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has been studied. The methods of optical interferometry, IR spectroscopy, viscometry, SEM and EDX were used to study the mutual solubility and diffusion mobility in the PVC-EDOS system in the presence fillers and without them, as well as the phase structure of plasticized filled systems. It is shown that in a fully compatible PVC-EDOS system, a diffusion mixing mechanism is observed, and the interdiffusion coefficients increase from 10⁻⁸ to 10⁻⁶ (cm²/s) with increasing plasticizer concentration. The introduction of a dispersed filler somewhat reduces the interdiffusion coefficients. The sorption of the plasticizer on the surface of the dispersed filler has been established, which leads to a decrease in the migration of EDOS from the composition. It was found that the introduction of wollastonite leads to a smaller increase in viscosity and an improvement in the technological properties of the system. And the introduction of environmentally neutral rice husk ash reduces the migration of the plasticizer and improves the stability of the composition during operation, which also has a positive effect on the environmental friendliness of this system.     

Influence of fineness of rice husk ash and additives on the properties of lightweight aggregate

In this paper, the preparation of lightweight aggregate (LWA) from rice husk ash (RHA) obtained from a biomass power plant was studied. As-received and ground RHAs were mixed with sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH) and cured to obtain the hardened sodium silicate paste. The samples were then crushed and heated to form LWA. The LWA was tested for acid and base solubility and for disintegration in boiling water. The results showed that ground RHA-LWA gave better performances in terms of expansion, solubility, and disintegration than the as-received RHA-LWA. However, the disintegration of LWA in boiling water was the main problem. It was found that the incorporation of 2-7% boric acid by weight of RHA alleviated this problem and no sign of disintegration was observed. The density of LWA of 0.20-0.40 g/cm³ was achieved.