Biomass Rice Research Articles

Effective biosorption of Al ions from drinking water by lignocellulosic biomass rice straw

High concentration of aluminum (Al) in drinking water is a major intake source of it and can result in serious diseases. Rice straw (RS) as lignocellulosic biomasses has great potential to peak up metal ions from aqueous environment, however, feasibility of Al3+ removal by RS has not been investigated yet. The present study aimed to evaluate the capacity of RS as a novel biosorbent for Al3+ from drinking water. Biosorption characteristics of RS were surveyed through several biological and physiochemical techniques. Additionally, isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic studies were evaluated using various common models. BET profiles revealed the presence of textural mesoporosity on heterogeneous surface, which leading to improve the biosorption capacity. SEM-EDS analysis confirmed the morphological changes as irregularly particles of Al3+ on external surface via physical mechanism. The results of bioassays and FTIR analysis showed carboxylic and hydroxyl groups in lignin and pectin as the main Al3+ binding site. The batch experimental results showed the maximum biosorption capacity of 283.09 mg/g and removal efficiency of 94.86% for Al3+ at biosorbent dosage of 0.05 g/100 mL, contact time of 50 min, pH 7.5, and temperature of 30 °C. The Freundlich model has the best match and suggests the biosorption process as a multi-layer. According to the results of free activation energy, biosorption process was also physical. As thermodynamic result, the biosorption behavior was found spontaneous and endothermic. Consequently, results showed RS as an economical biosorbent for reducing Al3+ of drinking water. Meanwhile, it can be considered as one of the most appropriate methods for management of rice paddies waste.

Synthesis, characterization, dielectric study and photocatalytic applications of Cu-NaX for dye degradation

The NaX Zeolite was synthesized from silica, extracted from (RHA) waste agricultural biomass rice husk. Cation exchange was done by Cu with NaX. Modified Cu-NaX and characterized by IR, XRD, UV, TGA/DTA, SEM and EDX methods. In the present investigation, prepared Cu-NaX is used as a photocatalyst for degradation of toxic brilliant green dye. The degradation process of the dye solution was carried out by considering various parameters such as contact time, pH, concentration of dye and amount of doses of the Cu-NaX. The dielectric properties including; dielectric constant, AC conductivity, relaxation time and dissipation factor of NaX and Cu-NaX were also studied. From the analysis of the obtained data, we found that 90–96.5% of brilliant green dye (BGD) was absorbed by the Cu-NaX from aqueous solution at fixed contact time.Thus modified Cu-NaX and NaX observed1011220 and 395,987 optimum dielectric values respectively.

Highly-Efficient and Visible Light Photocatalytical Degradation of Organic Pollutants Using TiO2-Loaded on Low-Cost Biomass Husk.

A composite composing of TiO2 nanoparticles load on biomass rice husk (RH) is developed by directly growing TiO2 nanoparticles on RH. The in-situ growth of the nanocrystals on RH is achieved by a low-cost and one-step homogeneous precipitation. Rapid hydrolysis proceeds at 90 °C by using ammonium fluotitanate and urea to facilitate the selective growth of TiO2. The method provides an easy access to the TiO2-RH composite with a strong interaction between TiO2 nanoparticles and the underlying RH. The structure and composition of TiO2-RH are characterized by using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. TiO2 nanoparticles-RH exhibits a good photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange. The results show that 92% of methyl orange (20 mg L-1) can be degraded within three hours in visible light. The catalytic activity of the composite is not reduced after 6 cycles, and it still reaches 81% after 6 cycles. The enhanced performance is ascribed to the suitable particle size the good dispersibility. It is expected that the high photocatalytical performance and the cost-effective composite presented here will inspire the development of other high-performance photocatalysts.

Thermal, mechanical and barrier properties of rice husk ash biosilica toughened epoxy biocomposite coating for structural application

The mechanical, thermal, and barrier characteristics of an epoxy biocomposite coating made using rice husk biomass biosilica were investigated in this study. The primary objective of this research was to find out whether and how adding biosilica from biomass rice husks improve the polymeric coating material's properties and adopted as sustainable coating element. The thermo-chemical approach and an aqueous solution method were adopted to transform the rice husk ash into the biosilica and in silane treated form. The ultrasonicator was used to mix the biosilica particles with resin to create the composite coating material. The prepared coating material was then characterized using ASTM standards in order to evaluate the effects of biosilica addition. According to the results, the tensile and flexural properties were improved by the inclusion of silica particles up to 1 and 2 vol%. However the properties are reduced when the biosilica amount was increased up to 4 vol%. In contrast, the hardness and thermal conductivity of the 4 vol% of biosilica dispersed composite was 94 shore-D and 0.42 W/mK, respectively. In terms of mass loss stability, the 4 vol% biosilica dispersed composite outperformed. After the biosilica particle was added, the barrier behavior showed good resistance to oxygen penetration. However, the stability of water permeation was moderately affected. As a coating material for corrosion-prone metallic surfaces and other household coating applications, these mechanically enhanced, thermally strengthened, and barrier property strengthened biosilica-epoxy composites could be applied.

PVC Coated Lignin/silica Composites Derived from Biomass Rice Husks as a High Performance Anode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries

AbstractLignin, as the second most abundant natural polymer, has not been fully utilized in the industrial field due to the complex structure and functional groups. In this paper, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coated lignin‐silica composites (PLS) with excellent cycling performance are prepared from rice husk and PVC through the method of alkali extraction and acid precipitation and mechanical mixing process. Due to the existence of functional groups on the surface of lignin, it can be closely combined with PVC to form a stable structure. The first discharge specific capacity and Coulombic efficiency of PLS is 1436 mA h g−1 and 56 %, respectively, and the reversible capacity is 720 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles at 0.1 A g−1, showing a stable cycling performance. This work promotes the application of lignin in the SiO2/C anode material of lithium ion battery, and confirms the stable combination between PVC and organic carbon.

Biogenic nanoporous oxides recovery from by-products of bioenergy production: Rice husks and corncob biochars

The bioenergy production and their by-product valorization are valuable strategies to the sustainability enhanced targets. The present work integrates valorization of thermochemical conversion of residual biomass rice husk and corn cob, focusing on biogenic oxide production from biochar. The bioenergy analysis and biochar properties allowed to establish a specific energy potential (SEP) up to 7.47 kWhe−kgOxi−1 and preliminary gas emission factor as greenhouse gas emission (GHG) down to 0.562 kgCO2−eqkgOxid−1 for the production of biochar oxides. A comparative study of the biogenic nanoporous recovery from biochar was done; four biochar samples come from different thermochemical conversions of rice husk, and corncob was treated by hydrochloric acid concentration between 0 and 10% w/w and subsequently oxidized at a temperature between 350 and 750 °C. The biochar and biochar oxides' physicochemical characteristics were carried out by ultimate analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Telle specific surface area (ABET), pore size distribution, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The biochar treatment allowed 55.5% and 41.2% of raw biogenic nanostructure recovery with a specific surface area up to 132 m2 g−1 and 25 m2 g−1 from the rice husk and corncob biochar, respectively. The biochar oxidation temperature was the most relevant factor for controlling oxides' nanoporosity from biochar, reducing mesopores volume in both cases. However, the hydrochloric acid concentration in leaching favors residual carbon removal and ensures nanostructure preservation of biogenic nanopores.

Extraordinarily high hydrogen-evolution-reaction activity of corrugated graphene nanosheets derived from biomass rice husks

The metal-free carbonaceous catalysts are one of the promising candidates for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen production. Aiming at demonstrating the high electrocatalytic activity of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), we synthesized the biomass rice husk-derived corrugated graphene (RH-CG) nanosheets via the KOH activation. The 700 °C-activated RH-CG nanosheets exhibited the large specific surface area as well as the high electrical conductivity. When using the RH-CG nanosheets as a HER electrocatalyst in 0.5 M H2SO4, the excellent HER activities with a small overpotential (9 mV at 10 mA/cm2) and a small Tafel slope (31 mV/dec) were achieved. The results provide a new strategy for materializing the superb biomass-derived electrocatalyst for highly efficient hydrogen production.

Synthesis of silica and carbon-based nanomaterials from rice husk ash by ambient fiery and furnace sweltering using a chemical method

Silica nanoparticles (n-SiO2), graphene nanosheets (n-Gr) and graphene oxide nanosheets (n-GO) were synthesized from the cost-effective biomass rice husk ash (RHA) by the simple chemical process. The crystallite size and micro-strain of all samples were calculated from XRD-peak profile analysis to be 1.5 - 5.4 nm and 8.11 - 28.64 MPa, respectively. FE-SEM images confirmed SiO2 nanoparticles with clustered spherical shapes and petals form of n-Gr and n-GO named RHA-1, RHA-2, RHA-3, respectively. The symmetric stretching band vibrations Si-O and O-Si-O were detected at 472, and 620 cm−1 in the FTIR spectrum, which confirmed the presence of n-SiO2. Bands at 1067, 1106, 1624 cm−1 are related to C-O stretching vibration, anhydrides C-O stretching and C=C stretching vibration of n-Gr, and n-GO, respectively. The core-level of XPS of C showed the binding energy of C‒C (283.21 eV), (291.11 eV), and O‒C=O (294.11 eV), which augmented the formation of graphene. The ratio of Raman peaks (ID/IG <1) is further confirmed the formation n-Gr of graphitic structure of sp2 carbon.

PHYSICAL AND THERMAL CHARACTERIZATION OF CEMENTITIOUS COMPOSITES BASED ON PLANT-BIOMASS

This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the evaluation ofphysical and thermal properties of cementitious composites based on plant biomass (rice husks and palm tree fibers). Composites produced are cement mortars with total replacement of sand by aggregates of rice husks (B) or palm tree fibers (F). Three cement content (D1, D2 and D3) and two granulometries of biomass (coarse mixture and fine mixture) were used for the manufacturing of studied samples. After 28 days of curing, dry density, water absorption by capillarity and thermal conductivity of mortars were measured. The results show that dry density and thermal conductivity of composites increase with cement content while water absorption by capillarity decreases with an increase of cement content regardless of biomass size particle. In addition, thermal conductivity increases with dry density and decreases with water absorption by capillary. For all studied mixtures, composites based on palm tree fibers give better results (high dry density, low water absorption coefficient and low thermal conductivity) than those based on rice husks. The results also indicate that the replacement of sand by aggregates of rice husks or palm tree fibers in mortars is an interesting option to be considered to produce new materials with low thermal conductivities (less than 0.50 W/mK).

Response surface optimization, combustion characteristics and kinetic analysis of mixed fuels of Fenton/CaO conditioned municipal sewage sludge and rice husk

The co-combustion characteristics and kinetics of Fenton/CaO conditioned MSS, and biomass rice husk (RH) are studied by thermogravimetry, and the condition optimization was carried out by response surface methodology (RSM). The results show that the mixed fuel with RH is helpful to decrease Ti and Tb values and increase combustion characteristic index (CCI). The CCI of MSS after conditioning is 0.59–0.88 times lower than that of the pure MSS. In addition, the total Em of S2, MSS/RH mixed combustion after Fenton/CaO conditioning is lower, the combustion reactivity is stronger. According to RSM, the optimum conditions are considered to be: RH mixing ratio 56%, Fenton/CaO conditioner dosage 147 mg g−1 dry solids, heating rate 30 K min−1, the maximum CCI 25.3305 × 10−7%2 °C−3 min−2, and the minimum Em 10.6403 kJ min−1. This study supplies new insights into combustion technology of sludge.

N-Enriched Porous Carbon/SiO2 Composites Derived from Biomass Rice Husks for Boosting Li-Ion Storage: Insight into the Effect of N-Doping.

A N-enriched porous carbon/SiO2 (SiO2 /NC) composite from rice husks was prepared by ball milling and tested as a stable anode for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), in which the homogeneous dispersion of SiO2 nanoparticles and carbon matrix, and high level of N-doping can be realized simultaneously. The influence of N-doping on a series of SiO2 /NCs was systematically studied; this proved that the porosity, N-doping content, and electronic conductivity of SiO2 /NC can be controlled by adjusting common nitrogen sources (urea and melamine) and doping routes, including dry and wet milling, to reach a desirable balance of high capacity, long-term cyclability, and rate property. The optimized SiO2 /NC composite delivers a stably reversible capacity of 581 mA h g-1 at the high current load of 1.0 A g-1 at the 1000th cycle. The novel Li-storage mechanism of active silica in a composite was first proposed after observation of the N-doping effect that the redox reaction between SiO2 and Li+ is accelerated to transform into an alloying reaction of generated Si and Li+ , thus enhancing the reversible capacity. Moreover, kinetics analysis confirms that there is a combined Li-storage mechanism of battery-capacitive pattern in composite that contributes to fast charge transfer and ion diffusion during cycle.

Rice husk-based adsorbents for removing ammonia: Kinetics, thermodynamics and adsorption mechanism

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odor are the main indoor air pollutants that can have impact on human health. In this study, the ammonia adsorption behaviors onto the three adsorbents from biomass rice husks, including silica carbon composite (RH-SiO2-C), activated carbon (RH-AC) and silicon dioxide (RH-SiO2) were investigated by time-resolved infrared spectroscopy. It was found that 85% of the initial concentration was eliminated under the optimized conditions. The adsorption capacity of ammonia onto RH-SiO2-C, RH-AC and RH-SiO2 at 298 K were found to be 7.28 mg g−1, 11.22 mg g−1 and 6.61 mg g−1, respectively. The pseudo-second-order model fit the kinetic data well for all the adsorbents and the adsorption rate constants were calculated. Thermodynamic activation parameters were obtained by studying the adsorption behavior at different temperatures, the activation energy values of ammonia adsorption onto RH-SiO2-C, RH-AC and RH-SiO2 were calculated to be 38.80 kJ mol−1, 19.24 kJ mol−1 and 54.64 kJ mol−1, respectively. The activation enthalpy (ΔH#), entropy (ΔS#) and Gibbs free energy (ΔG#) were also determined. Inverse gas chromatography (IGC), infrared spectroscopy (IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and surface area experiment were conducted to propose possible adsorption mechanisms. Beside surface area related with porous structures, chemisorption based on Lewis acid-base reaction may be a crucial interaction between ammonia and the adsorbents. This study gains insights into the adsorption of ammonia onto the biomass rice husk-based adsorbents, which inspires the further design of adsorbents to effectively remove VOCs and odors, therefore achieving a high efficiency for air pollution control.

Derivation of Luminescent Mesoporous Silicon Nanocrystals from Biomass Rice Husks by Facile Magnesiothermic Reduction.

High-quality silicon (Si) nanocrystals that simultaneously had superior mesoporous and luminescent characteristics were derived from sticky, red, and brown rice husks via the facile and cost-effective magnesiothermic reduction method. The Si nanocrystals were confirmed to comprise an aggregated morphology with spherical nanocrystals (e.g., average sizes of 15–50 nm). Due to the surface functional groups formed at the nanocrystalline Si surfaces, the Si nanocrystals clearly exhibited multiple luminescence peaks in visible-wavelength regions (i.e., blue, green, and yellow light). Among the synthesized Si nanocrystals, additionally, the brown rice husk (BRH)-derived Si nanocrystals showed to have a strong UV absorption and a high porosity (i.e., large specific surface area: 265.6 m2/g, small average pore diameter: 1.91 nm, and large total pore volume: 0.5389 cm3/g). These are indicative of the excellent optical and textural characteristics of the BRH-derived Si nanocrystals, compared to previously reported biomass-derived Si nanocrystals. The results suggest that the biomass BRH-derived Si nanocrystals hold great potential as an active source material for optoelectronic devices as well as a highly efficient catalyst or photocatalyst for energy conversion devices.

Enabling the ability of Li storage at high rate as anodes by utilizing natural rice husks-based hierarchically porous SiO2/N-doped carbon composites

One of the greatest challenges in developing SiO2/C composites as anode materials in lithium ion batteries (LIBs) is to improve the ability of Li storage at high rate over long-term cycles. Herein, biomass rice husks-based hierarchically porous SiO2/N-doped carbon composites (BM-RH-SiO2/NC) were prepared by ball mill and thermal treatment. BM-RH-SiO2/NC can still retain a reversible capacity of 556 mAh g−1 over 1000 cycles at a high current of 1.0 A g−1. At 5.0 A g−1 the capacity is kept as high as 402 mAh g−1. This impressively long-term cyclic performance and high-rate capability of BM-RH-SiO2/NC can be ascribed to the synergetic effect between the natural SiO2 nanoparticles (< 50 nm) and the NC layer. The coating NC layer can not only effectively mitigate the volume strain during charge-discharge process to offer stably cyclic performance but also improve the electrical conductivity. Furthermore, the hierarchical porosity and better electrolyte wettability offer the rapid Li+ diffusion and electron transfer, which enhance the pseudocapacitive behavior of whole electrode material and then guarantee fast electrochemical kinetics. Importantly, the unique Li-storage mechanism of active SiO2 in BM-RH-SiO2/NC composite was formed and found, which further validates the improved electrochemical capability.

Designing Biomass Rice Husk Silica as an Efficient Catalyst for the Synthesis of Biofuel Additive n-Butyl Levulinate

The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass levulinic acid to biorefinery platform organic component n-butyl levulinate is done by an eco-friendly process. The catalyst used for this reaction was prepared by an innovative strategy of impregnating CeO2 and Sm2O3 on silica derived from rice husk, biomass of low economic value, using different methods. The impregnation of ceria and samaria into the silica framework led to a change in the textural properties which was confirmed by various spectroscopic methods. A comprehensive study of the influence of reaction parameters on the esterification of levulinic acid with n-butanol revealed the optimum conditions for maximum yield and selectivity. In the solvent-free condition, the reaction achieved 94.9% conversion of levulinic acid and 97.2% selectivity of n-butyl levulinate within a duration of 1.5 h. The regenerated catalysts were stable and efficient up to four cycles.

Biomass rice husk derived activated carbon catalyzed synthesis of 5-aryl-1,2,4-triazolidine-3-thione derivatives under metal-free aqueous medium

Here, we have demonstrated a green and efficient protocol for the synthesis of biologically important 5-aryl-1,2,4-triazolidine-3-thione derivatives in excellent yields (92–98%) via two components reactions of aryl aldehydes and thiosemicarbazide at room temperature using biodegradable rice husk derived chemically activated carbon as reusable catalyst under metal and other catalyst-free reaction conditions.

Visible Light-Emitting Diode Light-Driven Cu0.9Fe0.1@RCAC-Catalyzed Highly Selective Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols and Oxidative Azo-Coupling of Anilines: Tandem One Pot Oxidation-Condensation to Imidazoles and Imines.

Here, we have demonstrated visible light-emitting diode light-driven selective and efficient aerobic oxidation of primary/secondary alcohols to aldehydes/ketones and oxidative azo-coupling of anilines using biomass rice husk-derived chemically activated carbon sheet-supported copper–iron bimetallic hybrid nanomaterials (CuxFe1–x@RCAC) under oxidant and additive-free conditions. The catalytic activity of the CuxFe1–x@RCAC materials has been investigated for the oxidation of alcohols and anilines, and Cu0.9Fe0.1@RCAC was established as the best catalyst. Moreover, a tandem one-pot protocol has been developed for the sequential oxidation of alcohols followed by condensation to functionalized imidazole and imine derivatives in high isolated yields. The hybrid materials were highly robust and stable under the reaction conditions and were recovered simply by filtration and recycled up to 12th run without considerable loss in catalytic activity.

Effect of various pretreatments on energy recovery from waste biomass

ABSTRACT Energy recovery from biomass, specifically lignocellulosic biomass, has been in research focus as an alternative to fossil fuel due to natural abundance and carbon-neutral feature. This study investigated the effect of chemical pretreatments on the composition and energy recovery potential of waste biomass (rice straw). The proximate and ultimate analysis confirmed a notable change in the waste biomass composition subjected to various pretreatments. Increased severity of the acid pretreatments significantly increased the energy recovery potential. A 15.67% enhancement in energy recovery potential was noted in waste biomass (rice straw) subjected to pretreatment with 30% sulfuric acid. The economic analysis revealed that enhancement in energy recovery potential (calorific value) can result in an economic gain. A net economic gain of 10.4% was computed for rice straw pretreated with 30% sulfuric acid. The correlation of economic benefit with the change in composition and energy content of an agro-residue (waste biomass) is the novelty of the study.

Bacterial Compatibility/Toxicity of Biogenic Silica (b-SiO2) Nanoparticles Synthesized from Biomass Rice Husk Ash.

Biogenic silica (b-SiO2) nanopowders from rice husk ash (RHA) were prepared by chemical method and their bacterial compatibility/toxicity was analyzed. The X-ray diffractometry (XRD) patterns of the b-SiO2 nanopowders indicated an amorphous feature due to the absence of any sharp peaks. Micrographs of the b-SiO2 revealed that sticky RHA synthesized SiO2 nanopowder (S1) had clustered spherical nanoparticles (70 nm diameter), while b-SiO2 nanopowder synthesized from red RHA (S2) and b-SiO2 nanopowder synthesized from brown RHA (S3) were purely spherical (20 nm and 10 nm diameter, respectively). Compared to the S1 (11.36 m2g−1) and S2 (234.93 m2g−1) nanopowders, the S3 nanopowders showed the highest surface area (280.16 m2g−1) due to the small particle size and high porosity. The core level of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra showed that Si was constituted by two components, Si 2p (102.2 eV) and Si 2s (153.8 eV), while Oxygen 1s was observed at 531.8 eV, confirming the formation of SiO2. The anti-bacterial activity of the b-SiO2 nanopowders was investigated using both gram-positive (Escherichia coli) and gram-negative (Staphylococcus aureus) microorganisms. Compared to S2 and S3 silica nanopowders, S1 demonstrated enhanced antibacterial activity. This study signifies the medical, biomedical, clinical, and biological importance and application of RHA-mediated synthesized b-SiO2.

Activated Carbon-Decorated Spherical Silicon Nanocrystal Composites Synchronously-Derived from Rice Husks for Anodic Source of Lithium-Ion Battery.

The nanocomposites of activated-carbon-decorated silicon nanocrystals (AC<nc-Si>AC) were synchronously derived in a single step from biomass rice husks, through the simple route of the calcination method together with the magnesiothermic reduction process. The final product, AC<nc-Si>AC, exhibited an aggregated structure of activated-carbon-encapsulated nanocrystalline silicon spheres, and reveals a high specific surface area (498.5 m2/g). Owing to the mutualization of advantages from both silicon nanocrystals (i.e., low discharge potential and high specific capacity) and activated carbon (i.e., high porosity and good electrical conductivity), the AC<nc-Si>AC nanocomposites are able to play a substantial role as an anodic source material for the lithium-ion battery (LIB). Namely, a high coulombic efficiency (97.5%), a high discharge capacity (716 mAh/g), and a high reversible specific capacity (429 mAh/g after 100 cycles) were accomplished when using AC<nc-Si>AC as an LIB anode. The results advocate that the simultaneous synthesis of biomass-derived AC<nc-Si>AC is beneficial for green energy-storage device applications.