Synthesis and characterization of silica xerogel and aerogel from rice husk ash and pulverized beach sand via sol-gel route

K. M. Omatolaa; A. D. Onojah; A. N. Amah; I. Ahemen

doi:10.46481/jnsps.2023.1609

Authors

K. M. Omatolaa
[email protected]

Department of Physics, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Nigeria
A. D. Onojah
Department of Physics, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University of Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
A. N. Amah
Department of Physics, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University of Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
I. Ahemen
Department of Physics, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University of Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

Keywords:

Rice husk ash; Pulverized beach sand; Sol-gel route; Drying techniques Xerogel; Aerogel

Abstract

The high cost and toxicity associated with the use of orthosilicates as silica precursors drive growing interest in an environmentally friendly and cost - efficient natural silica source. Rice husk (a biomass) and beach sand are both natural and non - toxic and the extraction of silica from each using sodium hydroxide makes the process green for the production of nanosilica gels (xerogel and aerogel) via the sol – gel route. The gels from the ash of rice husk and pulverized beach sand were dried by the use of a laboratory oven and supercritical extraction methods. The structures of the gels were studied through X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X - ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analyses. XRF spectroscopy revealed silicon in its oxide form as the prominent element with low levels of trace elements concentrations. XRD results showed the crystalline nature of the prepared silica. TEM images confirmed the crystalline and nanometric structures of the streak - free xerogel and aerogel. SAED confirmed that the gels were polycrystalline with no streaks. SEM monographs showed varied globes of fine surfaces indicating the high level of purity of the gels. FTIR showed the absorption peaks of the silanol-OH bond and Si-O-Si vibration, confirming the gels as nanometric structures. The high yield, crystalline nature, purity and crystallographic features of the produced silica suggest rice husk ash and pulverized beach sand as alternative silica sources for the production of silica gels nanoparticles with potential applications in biomedical field, nanofiltration and as additive for improving the strength of materials.

Dimensions

REFERENCES

J. P. Nayak & J. Bera, “A simple method for production of humidity indicating silica gel from rice husk ash”, Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals 19 (2009) 15. https://doi.org/10.1080/0371750x.2009. 11082163

P. Ram & P. Monika, “Rice hush ash as a renewable source for the production of value added silica gel and its application: An overview”, Bulletin Chemical Reaction Engineering and Catalysis 7 (2012) 1. https://doi.org/10.97671/BCREC.7.1.1216.1-25

N. Meftah, A. Hani & A. Merdas, “Extraction and physiochemical characterization of highly – pure amorphous silica nanoparticles from locally available dunes sand”, Chemistry Africa (2023) 1. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s42250-023-00688-2

J.N. Saleh, A. A. Abdulrahman & Z. A.Yousif, “Characterization of nano silica prepared from Iraqi rice husk and its application in oil well’s cement”, Journal of Petroleum Research and Studies 7 (2017) 236. https://doi.org/10.52716/jprs.v7i1.179

D. Pallavi, B. Jatin & P. Dilip, “Determination of silica activity index and XRD, SEM and EDS”, Indian Institute of Metals 65 (2012) 63. https: //doi.org/10.1007/s12666-011-007-z

V. H. Lee, C. H. Thuc & H. H. Thuc, “Synthesis of silica nanoparticles from Vietnamese rice husk by sol - gel method”, Nano Research Letters 8 (2013) 58. https://doi.org/10.1186/1556-276X-8-58

A. N. Azzahra, E. S. Yusefin, G. Salima, M. W. M. Mudita, N. A. Febriani & A. B. D. Nandiyanto, “Review: Synthesis of nanosilica materials from various sources using various methods”, Journal of Applied Science and Environmental Studies 3 (2020) 254. https://doi.org/10.48393/IMIST. PRSM/jases-v3i4.23427

R. S. Dubey, Y. B. R. D. Rajesh & M. A. More, “Synthesis and characterization of SiO2 nanoparticles via sol – gel method for industrial applications, 4th International Conference on materials processing and characterization”, Materials Today Proceedings 2 (2015) 3575. https: //doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2015.07.098

S. Rovani, J. J. Santos, P. Corio, D. A. Fungaro & J. Braz, “An alternative and simple method for the preparation of Bare silica nanoparticles using sugarcane waste ash: An abundant and despised residue in Brazilian industry”, Journal of Chemical Society 30 (2019) 1524. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.8b00092

H. Sajid, K. S. Rakesh, S. K. Nishant & K. Gaurav, “Synthesis and characterization of crystalline nano silica from rice husk (agricultural waste) and its magnetic composites”, Research Square (2022) 1. https: //doi.org/10-21203/rs.3.rs-1785138/v1

P. P. Nayak & A. K. Datta, “Synthesis of SiO2 - nanoparticles from rice husk ash and its comparison with commercial amorphous silica through material characterization”, Silicon Springer Nature 13 (2020) 1209. https://doi.org/10-1007/s12633-020-00509-y

Z. Munasir, T. Tariwikantoro, Z. Mochamad & D. Darminto, “Synthesis of SiO2 nanoparticles containing quartz and cristobalite phases from silica sands”, Materials Science – Poland 33 (2015) 47. https://doi.org/10.1515/msp-2015-0008

F. Mnthambala, E. Tilley, S. Tyrrel & R. Sakrabani, “Phosphorus flow analysis for Malawi: identifying potential sources of renewable phosphorus recovery”, Resources, Conservation and Recycling 173 (2021) 105744. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reconrec.2021.105744

S. S. Oluyamo, O. F. Famutimi, & M. O. Olasoji, “Isolation and characterisation of high grade nanosilicon from coastal landform in Ilaje local government area of Ondo State, Nigeria”, African Scientific Reports 2 (2023) 82. https://doi.org/10.46481/asr.2023.2.1.82

K. E. Motlagh, N. Asasian-Kolur, & S. Sharifian, “A comparative study on rice husk and rice straw as bioresources for production of carbonaceous adsorbent and silica”, Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery 12 (2022) 5729. https://doi.org/10-1007/s13399=020-01145-7

R. A. Ar, M. Rizka, M. A. Alfie, D. A. Resa, R. Cut, A. Thamer, R. Ali, & U. A. S. Faiz, “Experimental study of the mechanical properties and microstructure of geopolymer paste containing nano-silica from agricultural waste and crystalline admixtures”, Case Studies in Construction Materials 16 (2022) 14. https://doi.org/101016/j.cscm.2022.e00792

D. Dorairaj, N. Govender, S. Zakaria & R. Wickneswari, “Green synthesis and characterization of UKMRC – 8 rice husk - derived mesoporous silica nanoparticle for agricultural application”, Scientific Reports 12 (2022) 1. https://doi.org/10-1038/s41589-022-24484-z

A. Jyoti, R. K. Singh, N. Kumar, A. K. Aman & M. Kar, “Synthesis and properties of amorphous nanosilica from rice husk and its composites”, Materials Science and Engineering B 263 (2021) 14871. https://doi.org/ 101016/j.mseb.2020.114871

I. J. Fernandes, D. Calheiro, F. A. L. Sanchez, A. L. D. Camacho, T. L. A. C. Rocha, C. A. M. Moraes & V. C. Sousa, “Characterization of silica produced from rice husk ash: comparison of purification and processing methods”, Materials Research 20 (2017) 512. https://doi.org/10-1590/1980-5373-MR-2016-1043

M. A. Azmi, N. A. A. Ismail, M. Rizamarhaiza, W. M. Hasif & H. Taib, “Characterization of silica derived from rice husk (Muar, Johor, Malaysia) decomposition at different temperatures”, AIP Conference Proceedings 1756 (2016) 1. https://doi.org/10-1063/1.4958748

P. R. Jubu, F. K. Yam & K. M. Chahrour, “Vacuum, Structural and morphological properties of β-Ga2O3 nanostructures synthesized at various deposition temperatures”, Physica E 123 (2020) 1. https://doi.org/ 10-1016/j.physe.2020.114153

E. A. Okoronkwo, P. E. Imoisili, S. A. Olubayode & S. O. O. Olusunle, “ Development of silica nanoparticles from corncob ash”, Advances in Nanoparticles 5 (2016) 135. https://doi.org/10-4236/anp.2016.52015

P. R. Jubu, B. Yusuf, A. Abdulkadir, O. S. Obaseki, K. M. Chahrour,Y. Yusof, H. D. Dehiin, N. S. Akiiga, G. F. Newton, M. Umar, B. T. Terngu, U. F. Onah & A. J. Atsor, “Enhanced photoelectrochemical transient photoresponse properties of molybdenum oxide film deposited on black silicon”, Materials Science & Engineering B 289 (2023) 1. https://doi.org/10-1016/j.mseb.2023.116260.

C. Torres, A. Lopez-Suarez, B. Can-Uc, R. Rangel-Rojo, L. TamayoRivera & L. Oliver, “Collective optical Kerr effect exhibited by an integrated configuration of Silicon quantum dots and gold nano particles embedded in ion-implanted silica”, Nanotechnology 26 (2015) 29571. https://doi.org/10-1088/0957-4484/26/29/295701.

I. W. Sutapa, A. W. Wahab. P. Taba & N. L. Nafie, “Dislocation, crystallite size distribution and lattice Strain of Magnesium Oxide nanoparticles”, Journal of Physics Conference Series 979 (2018) 1. https://doi.org/ 10-1088/1742-6596/979/1/012021

S. Sarka, S. D. Ramarao, T. Das, R. Das, C. P. Vinod, S. Chakraborty & S. C. Peter, “Unveiling the roles of lattice strain and descriptor species on Pt - like oxygen reduction activity in Pd-Bi catalysts”, American Chemical Society Publications 11 (2021) 800. https://doi.org/10-1021/acscatal. Oc03415

D. Kumar, M. Singh & A.K. Singh, “Crystallite size effect on lattice strain and crystal structure of B1/4Sr3/4MnO3 layered perovskite manganite”, American Institute of Physics 1958 (2018) 1. https://doi.org/10-1063/1. 5032520

C. F. Holder & R. E. Schaak, “Tutorial on Powder X- ray diffraction for characterizing nanoscale materials”, American Chemical Society Nano 13 (2019) 7359. https://doi.org/10-1021/acsnano.9b05157

N. Permatasari, T. N. Sucahya & A. B. S. Nandiyanto, “Review: Agricultural wastes as a source of silica material”, Indonesian Journal of Science and Technology 1 (2016) 1. https://doi.org/10-17509/ijost.v1i1.2216

A. K. Koopmann, T. Bartschmid & N. Husing, “Renewable organic and related carbon aerogel monoliths from polycondensation of Tannin 5(Hydroxymethyl) furfural”, Journal of Sol – Gel Science and Technology (2023) 1. https://doi.org/10-1007/s10971-022-06015-4

K. Zik, L. Wang, Y. Zhang, Y. Jiang, L. Zhang & A. Yasin, “Influence of size and shape of silica supports on the sol – gel surface molecularly imprinted polymers for selective adsorption of gossypol”, Materials 11 (2018) 777. https://doi.org/10-3390/ma1105077

H. El- Rassy & A. C. Pierre, “NMR and IR spectroscopy of silica aerogels with different hydrophobic characteristics”, Journal of non-crystalline solids 351 (2005) 1063. https://doi.org/10-1016/j.jnoncrysol.2005.03.048