Fabrication and Analysis of Thermal Insulation Boards from Rice Husk

Abstract

There is an increased awareness to preserve the environment in the present day society. Rice Husk (RH),is the widely available agricultural wastes and is a serious concern for the environment. It is a potential material for use as alternative material in the construction and insulation industry. The particle board made from rice husk (RH) or rice husk ash (RHA), bonded by resin under the application of pressure and temperature. Urea formaldehyde is the organic resin used in general for interior use whereas phenol formaldehyde for external disclosure. The said resins are preferred for their water-resistant properties and better binding strength. The present study investigates the potential of rice husk reinforced boards by experimenting the different compositions and thicknesses. The objective is to perform a thermal analysis of the processed Rice husk boards. Boards made from rice husk are biodegradable unlike glass wool & other synthetic insulations. After experimenting on different fabrication conditions, six samples were finalized and were tested for physical and thermal viability in their applications. This study found that by adding ash of rice husk, the density of board decreases with respect to the board of same weight and consisting of rice husk only. Moisture Content is higher in case of boards with RHA but is within permissible limits. RHA reinforced boards have improved thermal properties, which is desirable in case of insulation boards.