Eco-Friendly Methods of Silica Extraction from Pyrophyllite Rocks Using Sol-Gel versus Alkali Fusion Method

Abstract

Silica is the most abundant compound on the Earth’s surface. The content of silica can be found in agricultural waste ash and mineral rocks. Extracting silica from natural sources is advantageous due to its economic feasibility and easily obtained. Silica has a wide range of applications, such as in fertilizers, adsorbents, organic reaction catalysis, biofuels/alternative energy production, and as an antimicrobial agent. One type of rock that contains the highest amount of silica is Pyrophyllite. Recent research trends have focused on various methods and sources for silica extraction, yet extracting silica from mineral rocks presents its own challenges. Pyrophyllite rock contains a high amount of silica, but its extraction is quite difficult due to the presence of crystalline silicate mineral phases. This study aims to compare the silica extraction process on Pyrophyllite rocks from Malang using the sol-gel method versus the alkali fusion method.