Robust synthesis of mono-dispersed spherical silica nanoparticle from rice husk for high definition latent fingermark development

Silica is one of the most functional metalloid oxides with a widespread application as semiconductor, fillers, silicone and ceramic primarily due to its structural versatility. In this work, a robust step-wise thermochemical treatment was successfully formulated for the controlled fabrication of high-purity mono-dispersed spherical silica nanoparticle from rice husk. The silica nanoparticle with the desired morphology was formed in two stages; thermal-assisted seed particle formation followed by particle growth through acidification of the solvent modified sodium silicate solution. The obtained powder was characterised, and the effectiveness of the powder for latent fingermark development across varied donors and surfaces was tested at the introductory level. The formed spherical particles were in the range of 200 to 400 nm, as confirmed by FESEM and HRTEM analysis. Minimising the degree of silica nanoparticle agglomeration notably affected their selectivity to fingermark residue. There was a striking improvement in the selectivity of the silica nanoparticle to fingermark residue. The improvement was attributed to the strong interaction between the silica nanoparticle and the lipid components in the fingermark residue, as compared to the commercial white powder that works solely based on mechanical adherence. Additionally, the size and morphology of the fabricated silica nanoparticle were optimised to enhance the clarity of the developed fingermark. Findings of this study could improve quality of fingermarks obtained in a crime scene due to considerably lower background interference without compromising the effectiveness of fingermark development.     

Enhancing the performance of porous rice husk silica through branched polyethyleneimine grafting for phosphate adsorption

Removal of phosphate is necessary to prevent eutrophication and remediate other environmental issues. In this study, branched polyethyleneimine (bPEI) was grafted onto rice husk porous silica (RSi-bPEI) to enhance the selective adsorption of phosphate. The adsorption tests for phosphate were performed at various conditions to assess the effects of pH, dose, initial concentration, and contact time. As confirmed by FTIR-spectra, it was proposed that phosphate species anchored onto RSi-bPEI through ion-exchange and hydrogen bonding. The increase in positive charge of RSi-bPEI, which was due to the presence of protonated amine, played a key role in offering more adsorption sites to augment the adsorption by means of electrostatic attraction. Consequently, RSi-bPEI exhibited q_m of 123.46 mg g⁻¹, which was two-fold better than that of RSi. The adsorption behavior was best described by Langmuir isotherms and the pseudo-second-order kinetics model. Based on the competitive study, the co-existing anions did not interfere with adsorption due to the fact that phosphate could form both inner and outer sphere complexes. In addition to the high performance, high efficiency in wide pH range as well as good stability and easy recyclability are the other promising criteria of RSi-bPEI that promote its practical usage in treating phosphate-induced eutrophication of water bodies.     

Multicomponent isotherm modeling of hexavalent chromium and fluoride ions simultaneous removal using rice husk derived activated carbon (RHDAC) electrode

In the present work RHDAC electrode was used to electrosorption of hexavalent chromium and fluoride (HCAF) by capacitive deionization from the aqueous feed. In this study multicomponent isotherm (MCI) modeling were done with different six MCI models for simultaneous removal of HCAF using RHDAC electrodes. This RHDAC electrode performance was indicated the simultaneous maximum electrosorption 2.47 and 2.34 mg/g for HCAF respectively for 100 mg/L aqueous feed. The results show that MCIM3 (Extended Langmuir) and MCIM5 (Non modified Redlich Peterson) models were found more fit to with experimental data with lower MPSD for both HCAF than other MCI models. The RHDAC was an effective electrode material for HCAF sorption from low concentrated feed.     

Green synthesis and physical properties of crystalline silica engineering nanomaterial from rice husk (agriculture waste) at different annealing temperatures for its varied applications

Crystalline nano silica (SiO₂) was synthesized using a cost-effective eco-friendly method from agricultural waste material like rice husk. Polymer nanocomposite has been prepared using the sol-gel technique from crystalline nano silica using PVA as a polymer binder. Thermal analysis measurement is employed to investigate thermal stability. The XRD analysis shows the crystalline nature of silica is revealed to have characteristic peaks of SiO₂. The particle size was evaluated using Schererr's formula and found to be in the range of 21–31 nm. FTIR measurement shows the presence of O–Si–O (silane) bond formation. The PL measurement shows broad excitation prominently in the visible region. In the XRD pattern, a major peak of the Nanocomposite is observed at an angular position of 19.5° degree, which is more prominent than that of the PVA with the addition of 0.2 wt percent Nano silica to the PVA composite. SEM provides information on homogeneous distribution. This could be beneficial in terms of higher mechanical qualities as well as multifunctional properties. By hydrogen bonding, the PVA molecules are strongly linked to each SiO₂ nanoparticle as measured by FTIR. The stability of materials is confirmed by Zeta Potential and DLS. In the photoluminescence property of SiO₂-PVA crystalline Nano silica composite is excited using a radiation wavelength of 200 nm. The indirect bandgap was determined to be 4.28 eV which could be attributed to the 1100 °C annealing temperature. Such materials may be used as a semiconductor material obtained from a direct natural source, rice husk. Thus, in the present research structural, physical, and optical properties of crystalline nano silica and its polymer composite are explored, which leads us to prepare technological grads material from agricultural waste for varied applications including Agriculture to medical science.     

Analysis of graphene-like activated carbon derived from rice straw for application in supercapacitor

Activated carbons with large surface area, abundant microporosity and low cost are the most commonly used electrode materials for energy storage devices. A very slack activated carbon with ultra-thin two-dimensional (2D) layer structure was prepared by our proposed approach in this work, which includes a pre-treatment process and potassium hydroxide activation at high temperatures.     

Rice husk ash as an adsorbent for methylene blue—effect of ashing temperature

Utilization of one waste material to control pollution caused by another is of high significance in the remediation of environmental problems. Rice husk, an abundantly available agricultural waste, can be used as a low cost adsorbent for dyes and heavy metals in effluent streams. The possible utilization of rice husk ash as an adsorbent for methylene blue dye from aqueous solutions has been investigated. Ash samples from husks of two origins were prepared at different temperatures and their physical, chemical spectroscopic and morphological properties were determined. XRD, FTIR and SEM were some of the techniques adopted for the characterization. The samples were also analyzed for bulk density, pH, nitrogen adsorption properties and lime reactivity. Experiments of methylene blue adsorption on the ash samples were conducted using batch technique and a comparative study was made. Results were analyzed using linear, Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The values of separation factor indicate that most of the ash samples do adsorb the dye molecules, but in varying quantities. Calcination at 900^∘C reduces the adsorption capacity of the ash to a great extent. Regression analysis shows that the experimental data fits both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms for certain concentration limits. The adsorbate species are most probably transported from the bulk of the solution into the solid phase through intra-particle diffusion process. Kinetics of adsorption was found to follow pseudo second order rate equation with R ²∼ 0.99. The highest adsorption capacity (Q ₀) achieved is found to be ∼690 mg/g, which is even higher than the values reported for activated carbon from rice husk. The adsorption capacity of the ash samples are in good agreement with their surface area and pore volume.     

Application studies of activated carbon derived from rice husks produced by chemical-thermal process--a review

The production of functional activated carbon materials starting from cheap natural precursors using environmentally friendly processes is a highly attractive subject in material chemistry today. Recently, much attention has been focused on the use of plant biomass to produce functional carbonaceous materials, encompassing economic, environmental and social issues. Besides the classical route to produce activated carbons from fossil materials, rice husk shows clear advantages in that it can generate a variety of cheap and sustainable carbonaceous materials with attractive nanostructure and functional patterns for a wide range of applications. From a comprehensive literature review, it was found that porous carbon that derived from rice husks, in addition to having wide availability, has fast kinetics and appreciable adsorption capacities too. Porous carbon materials also play a significant role in new applications such as catalytic supports, battery electrodes, capacitors, and gas storage. In this review, an extensive list of rice husks literature has been compiled. Conclusions have been drawn from the literature reviewed, and suggestions for future research are proposed.     

Rice husk silica as a sustainable filler in the tire industry

In this paper, we studied commercially available precipitated rice husk silica (RHS) with conventional precipitated silica, which has nearly the same surface area, and replaced part of the carbon black with RHS and conventional silica in a basic tread formulation. All formulations were mixed with the same amount of filler during the study. Silica was used at 15, 30 and 50 phr loading, and part of the carbon black was replaced by silica. Compound curing characteristics, physical properties, rebound resilience, heat generation, abrasion loss, dynamic properties and morphology were analyzed. The results indicated that RHS demonstrated compound properties comparable to those of conventional silica. As part of the carbon black was replaced with conventional silica, a slower cure rate, higher rebound resilience, lower heat generation, lower abrasion loss, and lower tan delta were observed with no significant change in physical properties, but some changes in physical properties were observed using one way ANOVA analysis. We found the same trend when replacing part of the carbon black with RHS, such as a slower cure rate, higher rebound resilience, lower heat generation, lower abrasion loss, and lower tan delta with no significant change in physical properties, but some changes in physical properties were observed using one way ANOVA. This sustainable material could be used to replace conventional silica in tire compounding, as well as to replace a portion of carbon black with RHS for improved heat build-up, rolling resistance, and abrasion loss.     

Structural and catalytic investigation of vanadia supported on ceria promoted with high surface area rice husk silica

Rice husk silica was utilized as the promoter of ceria for preparing supported vanadia catalysts. Effect of vanadium content was investigated with 2–10 wt.% V₂O₅ loading over the support. Structural characterization of the catalysts was done by various techniques like energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), FT-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV–vis diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DR UV–vis), electron paramagnetic spectroscopy (EPR) and solid state magnetic resonance spectroscopies (²⁹Si and ⁵¹V MASNMR). Catalytic activity was studied towards liquid-phase oxidation of benzene. Surface area of ceria enhanced upon rice husk silica promotion, thus makes dispersion of the active sites of vanadia easier. Highly dispersed vanadia was found for low V₂O₅ loading and formation of cerium orthovanadate (CeVO₄) occurs as the loading increases. Spectroscopic investigation clearly confirms the formation of CeVO₄ phase at higher loadings of V₂O₅. The oxidation activity increases with vanadia loading up to 8 wt.% V₂O₅, and further increase reduces the conversion rate. Selective formation of phenol can be attributed to the presence of highly dispersed active sites of vanadia over the support.     

Preparation and characterization of rice husk/ferrite composites

<正>A novel ferrite composite using rice husk as substrate has been prepared via high temperature treatment under nitrogen atmosphere.The rice husk substrate consists of porous activated carbon and silica,where spinel ferrite particles with average diameter of 59 nm are distributed.The surface area of the composite is greater than 170 m~2 g~(-1) and the bulk density is less than 0.6 g cm~(-3).Inert atmosphere is indispensable for the synthesis of pure ferrite composites,while different preparation temperatures of above 600℃result in composites with similar structures and morphologies.Due to the presence of ferrite particles,this novel composite shows enhanced adsorption ability for acid orangeⅡ.     

Potentiometric stripping analysis of antimony based on carbon paste electrode modified with hexathia crown ether and rice husk

An electrochemical method based on potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA) employing a hexathia 18C6 (HT18C6) and rice husk (RH) modified carbon paste electrode (HT18C6–RH-CPE) has been proposed for the subnanomolar determination of antimony. The characterization of the electrode surface has been carried out by means of scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and chronocoulometry. By employing HT18C6–RH-CPE, a 12-fold enhancement in the PSA signal (dt/dE) was observed as compared to plain carbon paste electrode (PCPE). Under the optimized conditions, dt/dE (s V⁻¹) was proportional to the Sb(III) concentration in the range of 1.42 × 10⁻⁸ to 6.89 × 10⁻¹¹ M (r = 0.9944) with the detection limit (S/N = 3) of 2.11 × 10⁻¹¹ M. The practical analytical utilities of the modified electrode were demonstrated by the determination of antimony in pharmaceutical formulations, human hair, sea water, urine and blood serum samples. The prepared modified electrode showed several advantages, such as simple preparation method, high sensitivity, very low detection limit and excellent reproducibility. Moreover, the results obtained for antimony analysis in commercial and real samples using HT18C6–RH-CPE and those obtained by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) are in agreement at the 95% confidence level.     

Semi-micro preparation and characterization of mesoporous silica microspheres from rice husk sodium silicate using a non-ionic surfactant as a template: application in normal phase HPLC columns

A simple and low-cost process has been developed for the production of mesoporous silica microspheres using a non-ionic surfactant as a template in an aqueous acidic sodium silicate solution prepared from rice husk. The influences of synthesis parameters such as the sodium silicate concentration, hydrochloric acid concentration, temperature and aging time on the morphology and on particle size range are described. The product’s physical and normal phase chromatographic properties are reported.     

Biodegradation behavior of polycaprolactone/rice husk ecocomposites in simulated soil medium

In this study, novel ecocomposites based on degradable polymer, polycaprolactone (PCL) and natural lignocellulosic material, rice husk (RH) have been prepared. The crystallization behavior of these ecocomposites was first studied by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The method of soil suspension system (i.e. simulated soil medium) was utilized to investigate the biodegradation behavior of the PCL/RH ecocomposites, and quantitative analysis on the degradation behavior of the two components (i.e. PCL and RH) has been achieved by a modified TGA method. Results demonstrate that the incorporation of RH fillers can inhibit the crystallization of PCL phase to some extent. Furthermore, the presence of RH fillers can accelerate the degradation of the PCL matrix in the ecocomposites, and this acceleration effect becomes more pronounced with the increase of RH content, which has been explained in terms of the depressed crystallinity of the polymer matrix, improved hydrophilicity and depolymerase-binding capacity of the substrate.     

Synthesis of Na-A and/or Na-X zeolite/porous carbon composites from carbonized rice husk

Na-A and/or Na-X zeolite/porous carbon composites were prepared under hydrothermal conditions by NaOH dissolution of silica first from carbonized rice husk followed by addition of NaAlO₂ and in situ crystallization of zeolites i.e., using a two-step process. When a one-step process was used, both Na-A and Na-X zeolites crystallized on the surface of carbon. Na-A or Na-X zeolite crystals were prepared on the porous carbonized rice husk at 90 °C for 2-6 h by changing the SiO₂/Al₂O₃, H₂O/Na₂O and Na₂O/SiO₂ molar ratios of precursors in the two-step process. The surface area and NH₄⁺-cation exchange capacity (CEC) of Na-A zeolite/porous carbon were found to be 171 m²/g and 506 meq/100 g, respectively, while those of Na-X zeolite/porous carbon composites were 676 m²/g and 317 meq/100 g, respectively. Na-A and Na-X zeolites are well-known microporous and hydrophilic materials while carbonized rice husk was found to be mesoporous (pores of ∼3.9 nm) and hydrophobic. These hybrid microporous-mesoporous and hydrophilic-hydrophobic composites are expected to be useful for decontamination of metal cations as well as organic contaminants simultaneously.     

Effects of thermal activation conditions on the microstructure regulation of corncob-derived activated carbon for hydrogen storage

Activated carbons derived from corncob （CACs） were prepared by pyrolysis carbonization and KOH activation. Through modifying activation conditions, samples with large pore volume and ultrahigh BET specific surface area could be obtained. The sample achieved the highest hydrogen uptake capacity of 5.80 wt% at 40 bar and -196℃ The as-obtained samples were characterized by N2-sorption, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. Besides, thermogravimetric analysis was also employed to investigate the activation behavior of CACs. Detailed investigation on the activation parameters reveals that moderate activation temperature and heating rate are favorable for preparing CACs with high surface area, large pore volume and optimal pore size distribution. Meanwhile, the micropore volume between 0.65 nm and 0.85 nm along with BET surface area and total pore volume has great effects on hydrogen uptake capacities. The present results indicate that CACs are the most promising materials for hydrogen storage application.     

稻壳炭基固体酸催化剂的制备及其催化酯化反应性能

以热解稻壳炭为原料, 浓硫酸为磺化剂制备了固体酸催化剂. 采用X射线衍射、X射线光电子能谱、元素分析、孔结构分析和热重-质谱联用等手段对其进行了表征. 以油酸和甲醇的酯化为探针反应, 考察了磺化温度和时间对催化剂活性的影响, 探讨了反应条件对油酸转化率的影响, 并对所制催化剂的稳定性进行了研究. 结果表明, 制备该催化剂的适宜磺化温度和时间分别为90℃和0.25 h, 在该条件下制得的催化剂为无定形碳结构, 磺酸基密度为0.7 mmol/g. 该催化剂表现出较高的催化酯化反应活性, 在催化剂用量为5%、甲醇/油酸摩尔比为4、酯化温度和时间分别为110℃和2 h的条件下, 油酸的酯化率可达98.7%. 该催化剂具有较好的稳定性, 经7次连续反应后, 油酸的酯化率仍可达96.0%.     

Effect of thermal treatment of rice husk ash on the surface properties of hydrated lime-rice husk ash binders

Rice husk ash fired at different temperatures, 450, 700 and 1000°C, was mixed with different concentrations of lime (molar lime/silica ash ratio of 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0). Each dry mixture was first ground and hydrated in the suspension form (water/solid ratio = 10) for various time intervals within the range of 1 to 365 days. The surface properties of the unhydrated and hydrated samples were studied by means of nitrogen adsorption measurements. The results indicated that the surface areas and total pore volumes of unhydrated solid mixtures and hydrated lime-rice husk ash samples, prepared with lime/silica ash ratio of 1.0, decrease with increasing firing temperature of rice husk ash. The effect of varying the lime/silica ash ratio of the solid mixture on the surface area and pore structure was fully discussed. The results of surface area and pore volume measurements could also be related to the crystal structure of silica produced from rice husk ash.     

The role of Carica papaya latex bio-catalyst and thermal shock in water on synthesizing rice husk

A bio-catalyst made of natural resources, such as Carica papaya latex, is very challenging for nanoparticle separation. In addition, differences in thermal conditions between nanoparticles affect the movement of substances in the separation process. The study experimentally investigated the role of Carica papaya latex bio-catalyst and thermal shock in water on synthesizing rice husk (RH). The synthesis retained the Mg and C elements attached to SiO₂, which were generally neglected during the process. The study's objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of biocatalysts and thermal effects on the separation of Mg-SiO₂-C from rice husk carbon nanoparticles (CNPs-RH). The research involved various treatment processes, such as RH pyrolysis in obtaining charcoal, High energy milling (HEM) to have carbon particles, and washing to get nano-sized carbon particles. The bonding of elemental compounds to rice husk carbon particles (CPs-RH) was released using NaOH and coagulation using a bio-catalyst. Coagulated CPs-RH was injected into water at a temperature of 60–70 °C to have a thermal shock effect for H₂O clusters in Na⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions attached to the surface of the nanoparticles. Several tests were carried out, such as the SEM-EDX, TEM, XRD, and FTIR tests, to investigate the two nanoparticle clusters formed up to the nanometer scale. The results indicated that CNPs-RH nanoparticles consist of spherical particles with a diameter of 1.2 nm, while Mg-SiO₂-C nanoparticles have a diameter of 0.6 nm. Both are classified as amorphous. Based on the FTIR test, CNPs-RH is hydrophilic, while Mg-SiO₂-C is hydrophobic. Thermal shock in water strengthens the ion's mobility, increasing the interfacial dipole forces between nanoparticles and accelerating the separation process.     

再燃温度对稻壳焦理化结构演变的影响

利用高温携带流装置,在再燃条件下获得了不同的稻壳焦。采用元素分析、SEM-EDS分析、N2吸附-脱附、ICP-AES、XRD和FT-IR等手段对稻壳焦的理化结构进行了分析与表征,研究了再燃温度对稻壳再燃过程中灰焦理化结构演化规律的影响。结果表明,在850-1 150℃,反应温度的升高有利于稻壳焦孔隙结构的形成,进而有效提高稻壳焦的比表面积和孔容积。稻壳中碱(土)金属元素的释放顺序为NaCaMgK,且随温度升高,碱(土)金属元素的释放率呈现先略微升高后逐渐趋于稳定的趋势,氯的释放率逐渐增大。稻壳焦中的碱(土)金属主要以硅酸盐和硫酸盐的形式存在。稻壳焦表面含氧官能团随反应温度的升高逐渐减少。     

Synthesis,characterization and CO2 adsorption of NaA,NaX and NaZSM-5 from rice husk ash

NaA, NaX and NaZSM-5 zeolites were prepared by using silica extracted from rice hull ash as a raw material, and they were investigated for CO₂ adsorption performance as an adsorbent in order to solve the problem of suppressing the global warming. Three zeolites were synthesized by hydrothermal methods with seed technology, and a series of characterization methods, including XRD, FTIR, nitrogen adsorption-desorption and SEM, were used to demonstrate their advantages compared to traditional hydrothermal methods. The maximum equilibrium adsorption capacity of NaA-RS, NaX-RS and NaZSM-5-RS was 1.46, 3.12 and 2.20 mmol/g at 0 °C and 101.3 kPa, respectively. The CO₂ and N₂ adsorption isotherms recorded at different temperatures were perfectly fitted by the Dual-site Langmuir model. The CO₂/N₂ selectivity and Henry's law constants were calculated to demonstrate that the samples have a stronger affinity for CO₂, especially at low pressures. The isosteric heat of CO₂ and N₂ adsorption of the three zeolites was calculated, which was indicated that they were in an excellent potential for adsorption and separation of CO₂ in industrial flue gas.