Rice Husk Ash Research Articles

A Comparative Study of Porous Asphalt Strength Reinforced with Expanded Polystyrene Foam and Ash-Based Fillers: Cantabro Test Findings

This research sought to evaluate the effects of incorporating extruded polystyrene (XPS) into porous asphalt mixtures and to understand the role of various filler combinations, specifically coconut shell ash (CSA) and rice husk ash (RHA), on the mixture’s performance. For this purpose, asphalt mixtures were subjected to the Cantabro test under both unconditioned and conditioned modes. Mixtures were treated with XPS in varying proportions ranging from 7% to 11%. The filler combinations were further varied, with mixtures containing 7% XPS showing Cantabro loss results of 35.71% for 1SD:3CSA and 43.44% for 1SD:1RHA, and those with 11% XPS demonstrating significant reductions to 19.24% and 18.93% respectively. The findings indicate that introducing XPS notably enhances the mixture’s stability and resistance to abrasion and disintegration. CSA-based mixtures generally showcased a more pronounced positive effect on stability than those with RHA. When subjected to moisture conditioning, all mixtures exhibited an increased sensitivity, though the 1SD:1RHA mixture showed the highest resilience against moisture damage. In conclusion, integrating XPS in porous asphalt mixtures can lead to significant performance improvements. The choice of filler, its proportion, and its interaction with XPS are critical factors in determining the mixture’s overall performance, especially its resistance to moisture and abrasion.

Review on Application of Lightweight Cenosphere in Construction Material

AbstractThere are many industrial waste products used in the construction industry like rice husk ash, fly ash phosphogypsum, marble powder, cenosphere, silica fume, copper slag, granulated blast furnace slag, etc. It is observed that the use of all waste materials is beneficial for improving the properties of cement concrete and also making a hunk of lightweight cement concrete. In that material, the cenosphere is the most economical material in the construction industry, so both waste materials are used in most of the experimental works. This review focuses on the concrete prepared by replacing cement and fine aggregate with the cenosphere at various percentages for the preparation of lightweight cement concrete. The usual way to use cenosphere is up to 30% replacement as fine aggregate or 20% replacement of cement gives good results. These reviews discuss the usability and extraction of cenosphere from fly ash, its properties, and applications. Also observed are the final optimum percentages for compressive strength, split tensile strength, and flexural strength for 7, 14, and 28 days.

Pengaruh Sekam Padi & Serbuk Kayu Sebagai Substitusi Filler pada Campuran Laston AC-WC

Asphalt Concrete Wearing Course (AC-WC) is a flexible highway pavement, where this pavement is a combination of: Asphalt, fine aggregate coarse aggregate, and (filler). In this study, the replacement of Portland cement filler was carried out as an experiment with alternative materials, namely rice husk ash and wood sawdust. Where in this research mixture the percentage of cement filler is 2% replaced using 2% SP ash, 2% SK ash, 1% SP ash: 1% SK ash, in terms of Marshall properties In accordance with the standard requirements of General Specifications 2010 (revision 3) Section 6.3 Hot bituminous mix. From the Marshall test results, the highest stability value was 938.71 kg and a flow value of 2.83 mm by substituting 2% SP ash filler, where the resistance was better than the standard 2% cement filler mixture with a stability value of only 889.68 kg . The VIM value obtained was 3.57%, although it met the standard, the VIM value indicated that the 2% rice husk ash filler substitution mixture was not watertight. It can be seen that the high VMA value of 23.30% indicates the large number of cavities in the AC-WC mixture. Where the greater the percentage of VIM and VMA, the lower the adhesiveness of the asphalt mixture by substituting Cement filler using SP ash, as evidenced by the VFA value of only 52.41% which does not meet standard specifications, because the voids created will be filled with air or water. Replacement of 2% SP ash filler obtained a Marshall Quotient value of 333.70 kg/mm which met the specification standard, namely Min 250 kg/mm but higher than the normal 2% cement filler mixture which was only 258.23 kg/mm.

Evaluation of citric acid-treated natural fibres as sustainable additives for improving expansive soil performance in highway construction

This study addresses the evaluation of citric acid-treated natural fibres as sustainable additives for improving soil performance in highway construction. A series of tests were conducted on the soil to assess its baseline properties. The natural soil exhibited a Plasticity Index (PI) of 30 and Linear Shrinkage of 12%, along with a Liquid Limit (LL) of 65 and Plastic Limit (PL) of 35. Additionally, the fines content (<0.075 mm) and sand content (0.075–4.7 mm) were determined to be 79.6% and 20.4%, respectively. The soil's mineral composition included Quartz (5%), Orthoclase (3–5%), Montmorillonite (2.6%), and Illite (18.2%), with key components identified through chemical analysis: SiO2 (52.721 wt%), Fe2O3 (16.132 wt%), and Al2O3 (15.202 wt%). Subsequently, a range of tests were performed with varying additives to assess their impact on the soil's engineering properties. The sample containing 6% Sawdust (SD) additive exhibited notable improvements in multiple aspects. This sample achieved a maximum dry density (MDD) of 1856 kg/m³, surpassing the control (1900 kg/m³) and the 10% Rice Husk Ash (RHF) sample (1698 kg/m³). Furthermore, the 6% SD sample demonstrated enhanced Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) of 320 kPa, as opposed to the control's 121 kPa. Triaxial shear strength followed a similar pattern, peaking at 41 kPa for the 6% SD sample. The California Bearing Ratio (CBR), the 6% SD sample showcased significant improvements, achieving 41% for Unsoaked CBR and 36% for Soaked CBR. These results outperformed the control (25%) and the 4% RHF sample (37%). Additionally, the hydraulic conductivity of the 6% SD sample was notably lower at 4.98 ×10–8 cm/s compared to the control (3.35 ×10–8 cm/s) and the 4% RHF sample (4.58 ×10–8 cm/s). The Coefficient of Volume Change (Mv) further supported the superior performance of the 6% SD sample with a value of 0.6, indicating reduced settlement potential compared to the 4% RHF sample (Mv: 0.7). Based on the results, the 6% Sawdust (SD) additive consistently demonstrated the most favourable engineering properties for the expansive clay soil. hence, it is recommended that the 6% SD sample be considered as an optimal choice for enhancing subgrade material, leading to improved performance and sustainability in highway construction.

Experimental study of treatment of kitchen waste water using rice husk ash

Kitchen wastewater is nutrient and carbon-rich, and if properly collected and treated, it may provide new water, fertilizer, and energy. The important contaminants in domestic wastewater from the kitchen include organic load from food processing, utensil cleaning in the kitchen, soap, and detergents, these are oil and grease, proteins, carbohydrates, and other dissolved and suspended substances. These particles can also be removed effectively and the treated water used for agriculture or gardening. Kitchen wastewater treatment involves determination of Biochemical Oxygen Demand(BOD), Chemical Oxygen demand(COD),Total suspended solid(TSS). Numerous techniques are employed globally to handle kitchen waste. The removal of various pollutants from wastewater and wastewaters is now being explored using rice husk, a material that is both ubiquitous and relatively inexpensive. The present work deals with the practicability of applying continuous process for removal of BOD, COD, and TSS, using Rice husk ash as adsorbent. In present study continuous process is adopted to check the viability of rice husk as adsorbent. The effects of operating parameters on BOD, COD, TSS removal were studied. From the experiment the optimum conditions were determined as 15 cm depth of Rice husk ash(RHA) layer and 60 min detention time. At the optimum conditions, removal efficiencies for Chemical Oxygen Demand (94%), Biochemical Oxygen Demand(90%), Total Suspended Solids(91%) were observed. It is observed that Rice Husk(RH) can be used as effective adsorbent for treatment of kitchen wastewater.

WITHDRAWN: An in situ mescosm to assess the potential of rice husk ash as a diatom growth catalyst and heavy metals adsorbent

Many coastal waters suffer from significant silicon deficiency and severe heavy metals contamination, posing a great threat to the ecosystem. The present study evaluated the release of silicate from rice husk ash (RHA) and its effect on the phytoplankton abundance and community composition using an in situ mescosms, and assessed the capacity of RHA to adsorb mercury (Hg2+) under different modification methods. The results showed that the concentration of dissolved silicate in seawater increased with increasing RHA and reached the maximum of 189.77 ± 45.61 μmol L−1 in high RHA treatment (HR) with 1.0 g L−1 of RHA. In the HR treatment group, a significant increase in chlorophyll-a concentraion for nano-phytoplankton (2–20 μm) was observed, with the maximum increase in abundance of ~8 fold as compared to the control group. Furthermore, the maximum abundance of diatoms was observed up to 4217 cells L−1 in the HR treatment group. Diatom species that benefitted from the addition of RHA were Coscinodiscus sp., Nitzschia sp. and Cyclotella sp. In addition, no concentrations of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and chromium (Cr) were detected in any of the silicate enrichment treatments, confirming the safety of the RHA, and the removal efficiency of Hg2+ was up to 97.41% in the treatment of RHA with NaOH. This study revealed that an agricultural waste, RHA, is a good catalyst for diatom growth and adsorbent of heavy metals.

Effects of Adding Coal Ash vs Rice Husk Ash on Compressive Strength of Mortar

Coal is widely used as an energy source in several industries, especially for power plants (PLN), but on the other hand this causes waste problems or environmental impacts. Several studies have been carried out to utilize coal ash waste (fly ash) as an additional material [or as a partial substitution material] in making mortar. This research aims to determine the effect of adding coal ash and rice husk ash with variations of 5%, 10% and 15% of cement weight respectively (at ages 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 21 days and 28 days). on the 'compressive strength' and 'absorption capacity' values of the mortar. This research uses quantitative methods through a series of experiments on 60 samples or test objects with the addition of coal ash (fly ash) and rice husk ash in the mortar mixture with reference to the Indonesian National Standard (SNI 03-6825-2002). Next, a series of tests were carried out at the age of 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 21 days and 28 days to calculate the ' strong ' value. press' and ' power absorb' mortar. The research results showed that with the addition of coal ash and rice husk ash, the mortar experienced a significant increase in 'compressive strength' when compared to ordinary mortar, the strength of the mortar reached the optimum level at a variation of 15% addition of the cement weight, reaching 240.96 kg /cm 2 . Meanwhile, with the addition of husk ash in the same variation, the compressive strength of the mortar reached 204.82 kg/cm 2 .

THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF RICE HUSK ASH MORTAR REINFORCED WITH SUGARCANE BAGASSE

Today, construction is a very important lever on which we can act to preserve a viable environment. It must be said that there is still a great need to use air conditioning to ensure thermal comfort in buildings this implies the need to look for materials with good thermal properties. This study evaluates the thermal conductivity of a rice husk ash mortar reinforced with sugarcane bagasse. Its aim is to offer an alternative to conventional materials that consume more energy. To achieve this, we formulated an M0 mortar in which the cement is replaced by 10% rice husk ash (RHA) we then substituted the M0 mortar with 3%, 6% and 10% sugarcane bagasse in volume fraction, resulting in the MCB3, MCB6 and MCB10 mortars. Finally, the thermal conductivities were measured on three specimens of each of the formulations, and the average of the three values was taken as the thermal conductivity of the formulation in question. The thermal probe method is used to measure the thermal conductivities of mortars. The results of the tests show that the thermal conductivity of the mortars decreases as the volume of sugarcane bagasse increases. The maximum thermal conductivity was obtained with the M0 mortar, with a value of 0.42W/°K/m. The minimum thermal conductivity is presented by the MCB10 mortar with a value of 0.316W/°K/m. The MCB10 material can be used as an alternative to conventional bricks to provide better thermal insulation for our buildings.

Production and characterization of silica materials from rice husk ash by different combustion processes

Rice husk is a type of waste widely generated in Brazil and worldwide. It is often applied as biomass for energy generation. Rice husk ash (RHA), a solid waste generated in the combustion process for energy generation, is comprised primarily of silica and carbon. In this study, two types of RHAs, obtained by different industrial combustion processes (moving grate furnace and fluidized bed), were subjected to chemical or thermal treatments in different atmospheric flows (Ar/H2, N2, O2 gases, compressed air, and vacuum). The particle size, specific weight, surface area, electrical properties, crystalline structure, and chemical composition were analyzed by different characterization techniques. The results indicated that thermal treatments generate powders with a high silica content; amorphous structures were found in some silica materials (those obtained by chemical treatment and thermal treatments in Ar/H2 flow, compressed air, and vacuum), and others were crystalline in the cristobalite phase (mainly samples treated in the O2 and N2 atmospheric flows). The yield of each process varied, obtaining silica concentrations above 99.3%. Samples with significant analytical carbon content showed higher values of electrical conductivity; this result is probably due to the incorporation of carbon atoms into the cristobalite lattice. Samples treated with O2 atmospheric flows showed resistivity values of 1008 Ω.cm with very low carbon levels. This work concluded that carbonaceous silica materials (which may be new materials in the Si-C-O system) may be obtained during the thermal treatments of rice husk ash.

Performance evaluation of ternary blended geopolymer binders comprising of slag, fly ash and brick kiln rice husk ash

The use of industrial and agro-based precursor materials from local sources can achieve desirable properties for geopolymer binders, and thus realize the carbon-efficient sustainable materials in the construction industry. At the same time, the synergy between these precursors can be assessed using the multilevel material investigation, which has not been explored extensively. Moreover, there are limited studies on ternary geopolymer synthesized with rice husk ash from uncontrolled burning source such as brick kilns. Therefore, this study evaluates the performance of ternary blended geopolymer binders comprised of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), fly ash (FLA), and brick kiln rice husk ask (BRHA), implementing the multilevel material approach. The experimental program includes assessment and comparative analyses of the properties of geopolymer binders such as setting time, flow, compressive strength, density, water absorption, and efflorescence. Additionally, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses examine crystallographic structure and microscopic morphology of the composite binders. The initial setting time ranged from 21 min to 47 min for ternary mixes, in comparison to 21 min to 58 min for binary mixes. GGBFS significantly contribute in setting of binder due to hydration reaction and formation of C-S-H gel. The flow of ternary mixes exhibits standard deviation of 11.42 mm when compared to 20.96 mm of binary mixes. Lower dispersion in flow values suggests improved coaction between GGBFS, FLA, and BRHA. The compressive strength of ternary mixes improved when compared to the binary mixes. The optimum performance of 60 MPa was obtained for G60A40F95R5, which was 25% and 66.67% higher than binary mixes G60F40 and G60R40, respectively. Similarly, ternary mix G70A30F95R5 showed the least water absorption of 2.08% which was 53% and 58.4% lower than the binary mixes G70F30 and G70R30, respectively. The improvement in the properties of ternary mixes was confirmed from XRD analysis, which reveal coexistence of C-S-H along with crystalline SiO2 that positively improve the microstructure of the composite binder. Moreover, SEM analysis showed dense microstructure for ternary mixes when compared to binary mixes, which further validate the improvement in the strength of such binders. The sustainability analysis discloses the enhanced performance of ternary mixes, wherein, G60A40F95R5 showed 19.35% and 46.23% lower carbon dioxide parameter than binary mixes G60F40 and G60R40, respectively. All in all, the multilevel material investigation provides a great avenue to delve in to the best performing ternary mixes which will find desirable applications in construction industry.

Rice husk ash as a substitute for silica gel

Silica gel has been widely used as a dryer for food, medicine and various other purposes. Silica gel is basically a safe material, but because of its hydroscopic nature, silica gel is easily contaminated with dangerous materials. Apart from that, silica gel cannot decompose easily naturally, so using large amounts of silica gel will cause piles of silica gel waste. Therefore, efforts are being made to find replacement materials, one of which is using rice husk ash which can easily decompose naturally. This research aims to test the ability of rice husk ash as a substitute for silica gel. Tests used commercial silica gel (SG), silicon gel in non-woven geotextile bags (SG-N), and rice husk ash in non-woven geotextile bags (AS-N). In this study, AS-N was compared with SG and SG-N. The water vapor absorption test was carried out on a weight of 15 grams for 180 minutes. Each of the three samples was placed in a closed jar to avoid contamination with water vapor in the environment. The relative humidity of each jar was measured with a hygrometer. The jar lid was kept closed throughout the test. The results showed that SG, SG-N and AS-N reduced humidity by 23%, 22% and 24% respectively. Modeling with the Avrami equation is used to extrapolate the absorption results. The research results showed that 15 gram non-woven geotextile rice husk ash had superior water vapor absorption capabilities compared to silica gel and silica gel non-woven geotextiles. So it can be concluded that dryers with rice husk ash as the basic material can be used for needs such as clothes dryers, food dryers and other needs

Effect of rice husk ash silicon nitride on mechanical, wear, thermal conductivity, and flammability behavior of aluminized glass-kenaf fiber-reinforced polyester composite

Effect of rice husk ash silicon nitride on mechanical, wear, thermal conductivity, and flammability behavior of aluminized glass-kenaf fiber-reinforced polyester composite

Investigation of the Properties of Metakaolin-Based Geopolymer Materials Using Ferrisilicates as Additives Synthesised in Sodium Hydroxide Solution or Distilled Water

The main objective of this work is to investigate the behaviour of ferrisilicates prepared from hematite and two silica sources (rice husk ash and silica fume) on the compressive strength of geopolymer materials. Some ferrisilicates were synthesised in 2M sodium hydroxide solution. Others were prepared using distilled water as a solvent. The Fe2O3/SiO2 molar ratio contained in the ferrisilicates is set to 0.2. Metakaolin and sodium silicate solution with a molar ratio of SiO2/Na2O of 1.6 were used as the aluminosilicate and hardener in this work. The control geopolymer compressive strength is 53.34 MPa. For ferrisilicates prepared in alkaline solution using rice husk ash and silica fume, their compressive strength values are 71.91 and 77.72 MPa, respectively. The compressive strengths of the geopolymer materials made from ferrisilicates prepared in distilled water using rice husk ash and silica fume are 74.13 and 44.73 MPa, respectively. In the presence of ferrisilicate obtained by dissolving silica fume and hematite in sodium hydroxide solution, the maximum compressive strength of 77.72 MPa was obtained. When ferrisilicates from the mixture of silica fume, hematite, and distilled water are used as an additive, the minimum compressive strength of 43.73 MPa is achieved. It can be concluded that additives synthesised in an alkaline medium and those obtained in distilled water with rice husk ash improve compressive strength. On the other hand, the compressive strength of the geopolymer material that uses the additive produced with silica fume in distilled water is lower (44.73 MPa).

Diopside nanoparticles from rice husk ash: green synthesis, characterization and investigation of congo red dye removal, antibacterial properties, and Biginelli catalytic reaction (statistical approach to optimize parameters)

Diopside nanoparticles from rice husk ash: green synthesis, characterization and investigation of congo red dye removal, antibacterial properties, and Biginelli catalytic reaction (statistical approach to optimize parameters)

Design and characterization of iron–calcium–aluminium–silicate–hydrate as low-temperature binder

This work aims to synthesize new cementitious materials (binders) using marble powder, rice husk ash, activated laterite and NaOH solution by applying low energy process. The binder was used to stabilize solid precursors (laterite and pozzolan). To achieve this objective, calcium–silicate–hydrate (CSH) was first synthesized at different temperatures (26, 50, 80 and 100 °C). The best physical–mechanical properties were chosen to produce iron–calcium–aluminium–silicate–hydrate [Fe–C(A)SH] at different concentrations of sodium hydroxide solution: 4, 5, 6 M. Finally, the formulated binder at 6 M of NaOH solution was used to stabilize laterite and pozzolans at the following proportions 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%. The samples were characterized after 28 days of curing at room temperature. FT-infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and environmental scanning electron microscope ESEM-EDS permitted to confirm the formation of CSH, and Fe–C(A)SH. The mechanical test used to evaluate the performance showed that the incorporation of 10% iron-rich laterite into CSH increased the strength up to 42.93 MPa and the addition of Fe–C(A)SH in the laterite/pozzolans increased the compressive strength of the final product (15.34 and 15.8 MPa for laterite and pozzolan, respectively). The highest concentration (6 M) increases the alkalinity and reduces the efficiency of silicate polymerization affecting the final structural compound. From the results, low-energy Fe–C(A)SH-based cement and stabilized compounds appeared promising for the development of sustainable infrastructures.

Laboratory Assessment of the Effectiveness of Rice Husk Ash, Rice Husk, and Groundnut Shells in Soil Improvement

Laboratory Assessment of the Effectiveness of Rice Husk Ash, Rice Husk, and Groundnut Shells in Soil Improvement

Estimating compressive strength of concrete containing rice husk ash using interpretable machine learning-based models

The construction sector is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. Using recycled and waste materials in concrete is a practical solution to address environmental challenges. Currently, agricultural waste is widely used as a substitute for cement in the production of eco-friendly concrete. However, traditional methods for assessing the strength of such materials are both expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, this study uses machine learning techniques to develop prediction models for the compressive strength (CS) of rice husk ash (RHA) concrete. The ML techniques used in the present study include random forest (RF), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), ridge regression, and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). A total of 348 values of CS were collected from the experimental studies, and five characteristics of RHA concrete were taken as input variables. For the performance assessment of the models, multiple statistical metrics were used. During the training phase, the correlation coefficients (R) obtained for ridge regression, RF, XGBoost, and LightGBM were 0.943, 0.981, 0.985, and 0.996, respectively. In the testing set, the developed models demonstrated even higher performance, with correlation coefficients of 0.971, 0.993, 0.992, and 0.998 for ridge regression, RF, XGBoost, and LightGBM, respectively. The statistical analysis revealed that the LightGBM model outperformed other models, whereas the ridge regression model exhibited comparatively lower accuracy. SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) method was employed for the interpretability of the developed model. The SHAP analysis revealed that water-to-cement is a controlling parameter in estimating the CS of RHA concrete. In conclusion, this study provides valuable guidance for builders and researchers to estimate the CS of RHA concrete. However, it is suggested that more input variables be incorporated and hybrid models utilized to further enhance the reliability and precision of the models.

Influence of recycled rice husk ash filler on the mechanical performance of asphalt mixtures: A mortar scale analysis

Using industrial or agro-industrial wastes as alternative raw materials to manufacture asphalt mixtures brings advantages such as conserving natural resources and reducing environmental problems. Among these wastes are (a) rice husk ash (RHA) and (b) recycled rice husk ash (RRHA), obtained by controlled and uncontrolled combustion of rice husks, respectively. Previous studies have shown a high potential for RHA to be used as a filler in asphalt mixtures. However, the existing literature on RRHA usage and its corresponding applications is limited. Based on this background, the main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of RRHA when used as a filler on the mechanical properties of asphalt mortars/mixtures. For this purpose, the behavior of asphalt mortars (a combination of asphalt binder blended with sand and RRHA filler) was evaluated using the dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) with the three-point bending test. The test results suggest that RRHA reduces the workability and ductility of asphalt mortars. Furthermore, while RRHA indicated superior moisture-damage tolerance, brittle RRHA asphalt mortars with reduced fatigue strength were also produced. The optimum RRHA dosage for optimizing the asphalt mortar's mechanical properties/performance should not exceed 13.5% on the total weight of the mortar for the materials and test conditions. As a supplement to this study's findings, further research involving the combination of RRHA with conventional fillers and different materials (i.e., asphalt binders and aggregate types) is suggested to quantitatively assess the scaled-up mechanical performance of the asphalt mortars and their subsequent validation in asphalt mixtures.

Development of eco-friendly clay ceramics using rice husk ash as a secondary mineral source of quartz

The study focuses on the sustainable reuse of waste ceramic materials, particularly rice husk ash (RHA), as a secondary mineral source in ceramics production. RHA's potential to replace primary raw clays in making ceramic blocks and bricks is explored. RHA is categorized as Class II-A non-inert waste, limiting its use to controlled applications like the ceramic industry due to environmental and health risks. The study assesses the feasibility of incorporating RHA into three different types of clay: yellow and black plastic clays (plastic) and sandy clay. Waste classification according to environmental and health risks follows ABNT NBR 10004/2004 guidelines. Various analytical techniques, including X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffractometry, differential thermal analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis, were employed to characterize the materials. Laser diffraction measured the particle size distribution of the clays. In addition to the conventional ceramics industry standard formulation (STD), the study prepared five different mixtures with varying RHA and clay contents. These mixtures underwent evaluation for properties such as thermal shrinkage, density, porosity, water absorption, and diametral mechanical strength, with resistance reliability assessed using Weibull distributions. Results indicated that introducing over 15% RHA into clay ceramics led to excessive water absorption, rendering it unsuitable. Consequently, an 8.3% RHA content was chosen to manufacture hollow ceramic blocks for non-load-bearing masonry. This industrial test demonstrated favorable processing conditions compared to the STD, highlighting RHA's potential as an alternative raw material for the ceramic industry, contributing to sustainable development.

Rice husk ash : A prospective tool for soil acidity management in homestead vegetable cultivation

Due to the high cost of traditional liming materials, it is necessary to use organic sources that are readily available, inexpensive, environmentally acceptable, and adaptable as liming agents and fertilizer for vegetable production. Therefore, focus is placed on using rice husk ash, which is significantly more readily available and less expensive in Kerala, as a soil ameliorant. Furthermore, it contains a lot of potassium and silica.Si has reportedly been shown to have various benefits in addition to increasing yield, such as improving nutrient availability, lowering nutrient toxicity, and reducing biotic and abiotic stress in plants. The lime application will be simplified due to the utilization of rice husk ash in place of lime. In order to determine the impact of rice husk ash (RHA) on soil acidity management in homestead vegetable cultivation, the tomato variety VellayaniVijai was used as the test crop in the current study. There were six treatments, each of which was replicated three times. The highest number of fruits (29.3) and yield per plant (0.855 kg plant-1) were recorded in T6 (Soil test based recommended dose of fertilizers + Rice husk ash @ 125 % lime as per soil test). According to the findings, rice husk ash can be used as a substitute source of lime for vegetables. RHA acted as an excellent source of Si and K and decreased the uptake of iron in all of the treatments where it was applied as a soil ameliorant, resulting in an increase in the available Si and K content in the soil.