Rice Husk at a Glance:From Agro-Industrial to Modern Applications

Excessive waste production has led to the concept of a circular bioeconomy to deliver valuable by-products and improve environmental sustainability.The annual worldwide rice production accounts for more than 750 million tons of grain and 150 million tons of husk.Rice husk(RH)contains valuable biomaterials with extensive applications in various fields.The proportions of each component depend primarily on rice genotype,soil chemistry,and climatic conditions.RH and its derivatives,including ash,biochar,hydrochar,and activated carbon have been placed foreground of applications in agriculture and other industries.While the investigation on RH’s compositions,microstructures,and by-products has been done copiously,owing to its unique features,it is still an open-ended area with enormous scope for innovation,research,and technology.Here,we reviewed the latest applications of RH and its derivatives,including fuel and other energy resources,construction materials,pharmacy,medicine,and nanobiotechnology to keep this versatile biomaterial in the spotlight.

Performance Evaluation of Novel Eco-Materials Composed of Millet Husks, Rice Husks, and Polystyrene

Managing agricultural waste and expanded polystyrene (EPS) poses significant environmental and economic challenges. This study aims to create composites from millet husks, rice husks, and recycled EPS, using a manufacturing method that involves dissolving the polystyrene in a solvent followed by cold pressing. Various particle sizes and two binder dosages were investigated to assess their influence on the physico-mechanical properties of the composites. The mechanical properties obtained range from 2.54 to 4.47 MPa for the Modulus of Rupture (MOR) and from 686 to 1400 MPa for the Modulus of Elasticity in Bending (MOE). The results indicate that these composites have potential for applications in the construction sector, particularly for wood structures and interior decoration. Moreover, surface treatments could enhance their durability and mechanical properties. This research contributes to the valorization of agricultural and plastic waste as eco-friendly and economical construction materials.

Investigation of the Fermentation Mode of Rice Husk for the Stabilization of Earth Plaster

Despite its low resistance to humidity, adobe remains the most widely used material for housing construction, particularly in developing countries. The present study aims to assess different modes of use of fermented RH and to evaluate their influence on the behavior of raw earth for application in plaster. The influences of two types of RH are evaluated: granular rice husk (RHg) and powdered RH (RHp). The clay mainly consists of clay (40%), silt (22%), and sand (38.4%), with a small proportion of gravel (0.24%). Its liquidity limit is 40% and the plasticity index is 26.5%. The mixtures were designed using earth and each of the two rice husks at the volumetric content of 10%, 15% and 20% of the total volume mixed with water 36.5%, 38.5% and 40.3% and fermented for three weeks. Each fermented mixture was added to the soil to form the paste, and 40 × 40 × 160 mm3 test speciments were made for characterization. The results generally show an improvement in the physico-mechanical properties and water resistance of the mortars containing fermented RH, with an optimal content between 10% and 15%. The powdered RH improved the performance of the mortar better than granular RH.

Study of Rice Husks and Expanded Polystyrene Composites for Construction Applications

In the current context of environmental challenges, this study focuses on developing innovative and eco-friendly composites using rice husk and recycled expanded polystyrene. This dual-responsibility approach valorizes a by-product like rice husk, often considered waste, and reuses polystyrene, a plastic waste, thereby contributing to CO2 emission reduction and effective waste management. The manufacturing process involves dissolving recycled polystyrene into a solvent to create a binder, which is then mixed with rice husk and cold-compacted into composite materials. The study examines the impact of two particle sizes (fine and coarse) and different proportions of recycled polystyrene binder. The results show significant variations in the mechanical characteristics of the composites, with Modulus of Rupture (MOR) values varying from 2.41 to 3.47 MPa, Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) ranging from 223.41 to 1497.2 MPa, and Stiffness Coefficient (K) from 5.04 to 33.96 N/mm. These characteristics demonstrate that these composites are appropriate for various construction applications, including interior decoration, panel claddings, and potentially for furniture and door manufacturing when combined with appropriate coatings. This study not only highlights the recycling of agricultural and plastic waste but also provides a localized approach to addressing global climate change challenges through the adoption of sustainable building materials.

The Influence of Rice Husk Ash on Mechanical Properties of the Mortar and Concrete: A Critical Review

Increasing the population and infrastructure in both emerging and developed countries requires a considerable amount of cement, which significantly affects the environment. The primary materials of concrete (‘cement’) production emit a large quantity of CO2 into the environment. Also, the cost of conventional building materials like cement gives motivation to find geopolymer waste materials for concrete. To reduce harmful effects on the environment and cost of traditional concrete substance, alternative waste materials like rice husk ash (RHA), ground granulated blast-furnace (GGBS), fly ash (FA), and metakaolin (MK) can be used due to their pozzolanic behavior. RHA waste material with a high silica concentration obtained from burning rice husks can possibly be used as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in the manufacturing of concrete, and its strong pozzolanic properties can contribute to the strength and impermeability of concrete. This review paper highlights a summary of the positive effect of using RHA as a partial substitute for cement in building construction, as well as its optimal inclusion of enhanced mechanical properties like compressive strength, flexural strength, and split tensile strength of mortar and concrete.

Antioxidant Activities and Characterization of Polyphenols from Selected Northern Thai Rice Husks: Relation with Seed Attributes

Rice production generates a significant amount of agricultural waste. This study aimed to give results related to the existence of antioxidant phenols in agricultural waste of selected Northern Thai rice varieties. The antioxidant activities, contents of total flavonoids and phenolic compounds in the ethanolic rice husk extract were evaluated. The highest antioxidant activities were found in the variety PES1CMU, with 2,2’-azinobis-3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl as 679.66 and 4.16 mmol/(L·g) trolox equivalent, respectively, ferric reducing antioxidant power as 0.87 mmol/(L·g) Fe2+, total phenolic content as 29.90 mmol/(L·g) gallic acid and total flavonoid content as 12.16 mg/g catechin equivalent. Polyphenol compounds were identified mainly by standard polyphenols using the liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, with the highest contents of phytic acid, o-coumaric acid, naringin and kaempferol. The non-glutenous and wetland ecotypes of rice husk samples were the richest in antioxidant activities and polyphenol contents characterized by using principal component analysis. The glutenous rice husk contained higher antioxidant activities than the rest. Interestingly, quercetin is a significant phenolic compound that positively correlated with the overall antioxidant activities of rice husk. This finding will be relevant for future application of rice husk antioxidant components in the production of functional ingredients as well as for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Mechanical properties of a clay soil reinforced with rice husk under drained and undrained conditions

Fiber-reinforced soils have been increasingly used in geotechnical engineering.Over the years,research has sought to understand and investigate the influences of fibers as reinforcement in soilefiber mixtures.This study assessed the behavior of clayey soil in the city of Curitiba(Paraná,Brazil),adding rice husk fiber(RHF),an industrial waste from Cooperativa Agroindustrial in Alegrete(Rio Grande do Sul,Brazil).To evaluate the effect of the presence of natural RHF on the mechanical behavior of compacted soil,aspects such as the influence of fiber content and the drained and undrained behaviors of the soil were evaluated through unconfined triaxial compression tests.The following tests were realized:soil granulometry,specific mass of solids and Atterberg limits.Specimens were produced in quadruplicate for the soil and mixtures using the RHF contents of 0.5%,0.75%,1%and 1.5%to determine the unconfined compressive strength(UCS).Triaxial tests were realized on a pure soil specimen and the specimens with 1%RHF under confining pressures of 50 kPa,100 kPa,200 kPa and 400 kPa.The interactions at the interface between husk surface and soil were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy(SEM).In UCS tests,specimens with RHF percentages of 1%and 1.5%presented the highest results,with an increment of 36%compared to the soil without RHF.The results of the consolidated drained triaxial compression tests show that in terms of effective stress,there was a small difference in the strength of the compacted pure soil and soil with the addition of RHF.For the undrained tests,the strength increased with the inclusion of husk,with a reduction of 50%in cohesion and an increment of 22%in friction angle for specimens containing RHF compared to the soil without RHF additions.

Effectiveness of Rice Husk and Sugarcane Bagasse Ashes Blended Cement in Improving Properties of Concrete

This paper emphasized the use of rice husk ash (RHA) and sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA) in improving concrete properties, and also their combined effects on workability, compressive strength, flexural strength, permeability and water absorption capacity. Thus, in this study, the water-to-cement ratio was kept constant (0.45), the binder materials content for conventional mix was kept constant at (350 kg/m3) and the partial replacement of cement with RHASBA used was 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% by weight of cement. The maximum compressive strength was noted at a 5% replacement level of cement with RHASBA. The Results showed that the optimum replacement of cement with RHASBA in concrete was 5%, which was found to increase the compressive strength by 15%, flexural strength by 3.4%, lowered permeability by 50%, lowered sorptivity by 11.34% as compared with control concrete at 90 days of curing time. The micro-structural test results further established that RHA and SBA have a high content of SiO2 which enables them to be more reactive in concrete and also revealed that the presence of RHASBA depletes Ca(OH)2 crystals, converting it into CaH2O4Si (C-S-H gel) leading to the strengthening of bond within the concrete matrix.

Effectiveness of Rice Husk and Sugarcane Bagasse Ashes Blended Cement in Improving Properties of Concrete

This paper emphasized the use of rice husk ash (RHA) and sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA) in improving concrete properties, and also their combined effects on workability, compressive strength, flexural strength, permeability and water absorption capacity. Thus, in this study, the water-to-cement ratio was kept constant (0.45), the binder materials content for conventional mix was kept constant at (350 kg/m3) and the partial replacement of cement with RHASBA used was 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% by weight of cement. The maximum compressive strength was noted at a 5% replacement level of cement with RHASBA. The Results showed that the optimum replacement of cement with RHASBA in concrete was 5%, which was found to increase the compressive strength by 15%, flexural strength by 3.4%, lowered permeability by 50%, lowered sorptivity by 11.34% as compared with control concrete at 90 days of curing time. The micro-structural test results further established that RHA and SBA have a high content of SiO2 which enables them to be more reactive in concrete and also revealed that the presence of RHASBA depletes Ca(OH)2 crystals, converting it into CaH2O4Si (C-S-H gel) leading to the strengthening of bond within the concrete matrix.

Characteristics of Rice Husk-Admixed Conplast SP 430 Concrete

Experimental work was mounted using 5.7 mL of the Conplast SP430 admixture and rice husk ash(RHA)at replacement levels of 0 to 50%at 10%intervals by wt.%of cement.It is on the performance of Conplast SP 430 admixture and its effects on concrete and concrete with rice husk ash.Concrete specimens were cast and cured for 3 to 90 days and subjected to slump and mechanical characteristics tests.Data generated from the experiments were analyzed and sensitivity analysis of the concrete mix was determined using the Minitab 18 Statistical Package.The results showed that CP with concrete improves the workability of the concrete and reduces water absorption.The reverse was the case when RHA was used with the admixture which may be an issue of compatibility.The statistical characteristics restrict good and within the specified limits.

Properties of Geopolymers Made from Fired Clay Bricks Wastes and Rice Husk Ash (RHA)-Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) Activator

High cost has been pointed among factors that limit the promotion of geopolymers. To contribute to the reduction of the use of costly industrial sodium silicate in activators for geopolymers, a gel obtained with RHA and concentrated sodium hydroxide was used in the present study to develop an alkaline activator with 8 M NaOH and to produce geopolymers with crushed fired clay bricks wastes (FCBW). Characteristics of the gel were compared to that of commercial sodium silicate which was also mixed with 8 M NaOH in the ratio 1:1 to produce geopolymers. Chemical and mineralogical analyses were done on raw materials. Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was done on the gel, commercial sodium silicate and products. Biaxial four point flexural strength, bulk density, water absorption and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests were also done on products. Results showed that RHA-NaOH alkaline activator has good potential in consolidating FCBW powder through geopolymerization process which gave products that had characteristics not far from that when the commercial sodium silicate was used. The gel obtained by mixing RHA and NaOH can contribute to the reduction of the use of costly commercial sodium silicate in the production process of geopolymers. However, appropriate filtration process is needed for the RHA-NaOH gel to reduce its impurities as undissolved entities, which will consequently contribute to improve the flexural strength, the density and the microstructure of its products which were low compared to when commercial sodium silicate was used.

Effect of Partial Replacement of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) with Ghanaian Rice Husk Ash (RHA) on the Compressive Strength of Concrete

The cost of cement has made concrete production expensive such that the housing deficit in developing countries is on the rise despite all the efforts by governments and other stakeholders to produce affordable housing units for the populace. Ashes of agricultural products such as rice husk, known as mineral admixtures may have pozzolanic characteristics which would be more beneficial to the housing industry in terms of strength gain and economy than being pollutants to the environment. Rice Husk Ash (RHA), because of its finely divided form and very high silica content and amorphousness, proved to be useful for strength gain of Rice Husk Ash Concrete (RHAC). Rice husk ash was manufactured by uncontrolled burning, ground, sieved and replaced with cement at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% in mass for the mixes C20, C25, C30 and C35 where their compressive strengths were verified at 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 56, 90 and 180 days. The X-ray diffraction pattern list indicated amorphous as well as diffused peak of about 8000 counts of SiO2 representing crystalline structures identified as cristobalite. A physical examination of the RHA showed very fine appearance, grey color and specific gravity of 2.06. The chemical analysis also revealed the existence of oxide content to be 55.8% representing 0.78% of Fe2O3, 54% of SiO2 and 1.06% of Al2O3 representing 20.23% lower than the minimum value of 70% required for pozzolans. Generally, the compressive strength values decreased as the RHA content in the mixes increased but when compared to the control concrete the optimum replacement percentage of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) with RHA at 5% showed an increase above the control concrete for C20 mix. The increase in the RHA in the mixes resulted in the high demand for water in all the mixes.

Economy of RHA （Rice Husk Ash） in Concrete for Low-Cost Housing Delivery in Nigeria

Delivery of housing units in adequate quantity and quality has been the pursuits of individuals and successive governments in Nigeria. Still, the gap between demand and supply is becoming wider on daily basis due to exorbitant cost of building materials that is beyond the reach of average Nigerians. Concrete being the most acceptable construction material is expensive due to high cost of cement. Efforts made to reduce the cost of cement were to no avail, thus there is need to look elsewhere. Past researches showed that substituting cement with 15% of RHA （rice husk ash） in concrete improves the performance of concrete and reduces global warming as a result of emissions from cement production. This paper looks into the effect of using RHA as partial substitute of cement on the cost of a low-cost housing unit. Results showed that cement based construction materials are responsible for 82.58% of the total cost in which cement is responsible for 42%. When 15% RHA was used to substitute cement over N90,000 was saved, amounting to about 7% of the total cost of the building. In addition, depletion of natural resources was reduced.

Preparation and characteristic analysis of rice husk high boiling solvent lignin

Rice husk high boiling solvent lignin （RHL） was prepared by high boiling solvent method, and its characteristics was analyzed by using chemical composition analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and ^1H-NMR and ^13C-NMR spectroscopy. The optimum prepared condition was that the rice husk with 70%-90% aqueous solution of 1, 4-butanediol was mixed with autoclave, under a certain weight ratio of solid raw material and solvent, heated to 200-220℃ for 1.0-3.0 h, then water-insoluble RHL was separated from the liquor reaction mixture by water precipitation. Results suggested that the lower digestion temperature and concentration of 1,4-butanediol were both unfavorable for extracting lignin. Chemical weight-average molecular weight of RHL was 1939 g·mol^-1, and the residual polysaccharide content was 5.12%. The ^1H-NMR spectra of RHL showed the relative intensity ratio, aliphatic over aromatic methoxyl groups, situated at 3.5-3.8 and 3.8-4.0 ppm, respectively. The results from ^13C-NMR spectra showed that β-O-4 bond and β-5 carbon-carbon linkage were the major linkages between RHL units. The C9-formula of RHL was calculated by the experiment data.

Preparation and activity research of ecological nano mineral admixture from rice husk charcoal

The rice husk ash （ RHA） and silica （ Si02） nanoparticles are prepared from rice husk charcoal （RHC） by the methods of ventilated calcining and chemical precipitation, respectively, to remove the residual carbon which is harmful to cement composites. The structures and morphologies of these products are investigated by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning/ transmission electron microscopy and N2 adsorption- desorption analyzer. The results show that the as-produced RHA and Si02 nanoparticles exist in amorphous phase without residual carbon, and exhibit porous structures with specific surface areas of 170.19 and 248. 67 m2 /g , respectively. The micro particles of RHA are aggregated by numerous loosely packed Si02 gel particles with the diameter of 50 to 100 nm. The Si02 nanoparticles are well dispersed with the average size of about 30 nm. Both the RHA and Si02 nanoparticles can significantly reduce the conductivity of saturated Ca（OH）2 solution and increase the early strength of the cement composites. They also exhibit high pozzolanic activity, indicating that they can be used as ecological nano mineral admixtures.

Regulation of rhizosphere microenvironment by rice husk ash for reducing the accumulation of cadmium and arsenic in rice

It is important to reduce Cd and As content in brown rice in contaminated paddy soils.We conducted research on the effects of rice husk ash (RHA) on the Cd and As in the rhizosphere microenvironment (soil,porewater,and iron plaque) and measured the Cd,As,and Si content in rice plants.The main elements in RHA were Si (29.64%) and O (69.17%),which had the maximum adsorption capacity for Cd was 42.49 mg/kg and for As was 18.62 mg/kg.Soil pH and available Si content increased,while soil available Cd and As decreased following application of 0.5%–2%RHA.RHA promote the transformation of Cd to insoluble fraction,while As was transformed from a poorly soluble form to a more active one.RHA reduced Cd content and increased Si content in porewater,and reduced As only at the later rice growth stages.RHA increased the amount of iron plaque,thereby decreasing the Cd content in iron plaque,while increased the As content in it.Cd and inorganic As content in brown rice were decreased,to 0.31 mg/kg and 0.18 mg/kg,respectively.The decrease of Cd in brown rice was due to the decrease of Cd mobility in soil,thereby reducing root accumulation,while the decrease of As in brown rice was affected by the transport from roots to stems.Therefore,RHA can be considered as a safe and efficient in-situ remediation amendment for Cd and As co-contaminated paddy soil.

Hard carbon derived from rice husk as low cost negative electrodes in Na-ion batteries

Here,we report the synthesis of hard carbon materials(RH) made from natural rice husk through a single pyrolysis process and their application as an anode in sodium-ion batteries.The studies show that the electrochemical properties of RHs are affected by the treatment temperatures,which determine the materials morphology,in particular,their degree of graphitization and extent of continuous channels(nanovoids).The latter are accessible to sodium ions and significantly contribute to charge storage capacity of the produced anodes.The RHs obtained at 1600 °C deliver the highest reversible capacity of276 mAh g^(-1) mainly due to insertion of sodium ions into the nanovoids.This work deepens the basic understanding of the influence of the carbonization temperature on the sodium storage mechanism.

Effect of grinding on chemical and physical properties of rice husk ash

The effect of grinding on the chemical and physical properties of rice husk ash was studied. Four rice husk ashes with different finenesses, i.e. coarse original rice husk ash （RHA0）, RHA1, RHA2, and RHA3 were used for the study. Ordinary Portland cement （OPC） was partially replaced with rice husk ash at 20% by weight of binder. The water to binder ratio （W/B） of the mortar was maintained at 110%±5% with flow table test. Specific gravity, fineness, chemical properties, compressive strength, and porosity test of mortars were determined. The differences in chemical composition of the rice husk ashes with different finenesses from the same batch are small. The use of RHA3 produces the mortars with good strength and low porosity. The strength of the mortar improves with partial replacement of RHA3 in comparison with normal coarse rice husk ash. The use of RHA3 results in a strong and dense mortar, which is due to the better dispersion and filling effect, as well as an increase in the pozzolanic reaction.

Pyrolysis of rice husk and sawdust for liquid fuel

The paper is focused on studying how to convert rice husk and sawdust into liquid fuel. Rice husk, sawdust and their mixture were pyrolyzed at the temperature between 420℃ and 540℃, and the main product of liquid fuel was obtained. The experimental result showed that the yield of liquid fuel heavily depended on the kind of feedstock and pyrolysis temperature. In the experiments, the maximum liquid yields for rice husk, sawdust and their mixture were 56% at 465 ℃, 61% at 490℃ and 60% at 475℃ respectively. Analysis with GC-MS and other apparatus indicated that the liquid fuel is a complicated organic compound with low caloric value and can be directly used as fuel oil without any up-grading. As a crude oil, the liquid fuel can be refined to be vehicle oil.

Preparation of fly ash and rice husk ash geopolymer

The geopolymer of fly ash （FA） and rice husk ash （RHA） was prepared. The burning temperature of rice husk, the RHA fineness and the ratio of FA to RHA were studied. The density and strength of the geopolymer mortars with RHA/FA mass ratios of 0/100, 20/80, 40/60, and 60/40 were tested. The geopolymers were activated with sodium hydroxide （NaOH）, sodium silicate, and heat. It is revealed that the optimum burning temperature of RHA for making FA-RHA geopolymer is 690oC. The as-received FA and the ground RHA with 1%-5% retained on No.325 sieve are suitable source materials for making geopolymer, and the obtained compressive strengths are between 12.5-56.0 MPa and are dependent on the ratio of FA/RHA, the RHA fineness, and the ratio of sodium silicate to NaOH. Relatively high strength FA-RHA geopolymer mortars are obtained using a sodium silicate/NaOH mass ratio of 4.0, delay time before subjecting the samples to heat for 1 h, and heat curing at 60oC for 48 h.