Characterization Of Silica Research Articles

Production and Characterization of Silica from Rice Husk: An Updated Review

Rice is regarded as one of the most valuable sources which is consumed by almost fifty percent of the world’s population. Rice husk ash is a by-product substance obtained from the rice husk by thermal and chemical treatment. The non-crystalline nature of silica content in rice husk, which is converted to crystalline silica such as quartz, tridymite, and cristobalite on thermal treatment. It has been an important material which impacts not only enhances the betterment of industrialization but also protects the environment from pollution. The produced silica was characterized by various analyses such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission electron microscope (TEM), and Thermal analysis. This review is given attention to integrating and investigating processing, properties, characterization, reactivity, and application of rice husk (RH) and rice husk silica (RHS).

Synthesis and Characterization of Silica and Silica Cellulose from Natural Materials as Matrix for Various Sensor Applications: A Mini Review

Sensors play a crucial role in various fields by enabling the detection and analysis of a wide range of substances, including hazardous substance detection, environmental and food safety monitoring, pharmaceutical industry, gas analysis, and others. Research continues to identify and develop sensor matrix materials that can increase the sensitivity, selectivity and responsiveness of sensors. Silica, an oxide mineral is a potential matrix material for sensor applications because of its unique characteristics. It has a large pore structure and modifiable pore size distribution. Silica’s stable chemical properties, high-temperature resistance and corrosion resistance make it an ideal matrix material for a wide range of sensor applications. In recent years, silica cellulose also become a potential material for sensor applications. Silica cellulose is produced by combining silica with cellulose components from natural materials, such as rice husk ash, bamboo leaf ash, rice straw ash, and other plant fibers. This article provides a comprehensive exploration of various methods of synthesis and characterization of silica and silica cellulose materials. The methods include sol-gel, acid leaching, alkaline extraction, and other techniques for extracting cellulose from natural sources. In addition, sensor applications that have been tested using this material are also discussed, including its use in detecting molecular compounds, food and environmental applications. The development of silica and silica cellulose materials based on natural materials is considered because of their sustainability. By continuing to explore the potential of these materials, it is hoped that it can make a significant contribution in the development of sensor technology that is more innovative, environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Production Methods Effect on Nanosilica Properties

This study explored nanosilica synthesis using colloidal silica, silica sand, and TEOS, utilizing rotary evaporator drying, sol-gel, and titration methods. It examined the influence of these techniques on silica’s functionalization and mechanical properties. Methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane was employed for silanation, with silica characterized using various analytical methods. Particle sizes from SEM images were 19 nm and 14 nm for rotary and sol-gel samples, respectively, while titration samples showed an irregular structure. Zetasizer analysis revealed larger particle sizes. The purity of silica powders ranged from 90% to 99%, and titration samples demonstrated the highest silanability. When used in dental composites, rotary-evaporated silica displayed promising suitability based on its mechanical and physical properties.

Synthesis and Characterization of Silica, Silver-Silica, and Zinc Oxide-Silica Nanoparticles for Evaluation of Blood Biochemistry, Oxidative Stress, and Hepatotoxicity in Albino Rats.

Evaluation of nanoparticles (NPs) for biomedical applications has received a lot of attention for detailed study on pharmacokinetics prior to clinical application. In this study, pure C-SiO2 (crystalline silica) NPs and SiO2 nanocomposites with silver (Ag) and zinc oxide (ZnO) were prepared by utilizing different synthesis routes such as sol-gel and co-precipitation techniques. The prepared NPs showed highly crystalline nature as confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis where average crystallite sizes of 35, 16, and 57 nm for C-SiO2, Ag-SiO2, and ZnO-SiO2 NPs, respectively, were calculated. Fourier transform infrared analysis confirmed the presence of functional groups related to the chemicals and procedures used for sample preparation. Due to agglomeration of the prepared NPs, the scanning electron microscope images showed large particle sizes when compared to their crystalline sizes. The optical properties of the prepared NPs such as absorption were obtained with UV-Vis spectroscopy. For in vivo biological evaluation, albino rats, both male and female, kept in different groups were exposed to NPs with 500 μg/kg dose. Hematological, serum biochemistry, histo-architecture, oxidative stress biomarkers, and antioxidant parameters in liver tissues along with various biomarkers for the evaluation of erythrocytes were estimated. The results on hemato-biochemistry, histopathological ailments, and oxidative stress parameters exhibited 95% alteration in the liver and erythrocytes of C-SiO2 NPs-treated rats while 75 and 60% alteration in the liver tissues of rats due to exposure to Ag-SiO2 and ZnO-SiO2 NPs, respectively, when compared with the albino rats of the control (untreated) group. Therefore, the current study showed that the prepared NPs had adverse effects on the liver and erythrocytes causing hepatotoxicity in the albino rats in respective order C-SiO2 > Ag SiO2 > ZnO-SiO2. As the C-SiO2 NPs appeared to be the most toxic, it has been concluded that coating SiO2 on Ag and ZnO reduced their toxicological impact on albino rats. Consequently, it is suggested that Ag-SiO2 and ZnO-SiO2 NPs are more biocompatible than C-SiO2 NPs.

Extraction and Characterization of Silica from Empty Palm Fruit Bunch (EPFB) Ash

Recently, there has been so much interest in using biomass waste for bio-based products. Nigeria is one of the countries with an extensive availability of palm biomass. During palm oil production, an empty palm fruit bunch (biomass) is formed, and a lot of ash is generated. This study aimed to extract and characterize silica from empty palm fruit bunch (EPFB) ash using the thermochemical method. The results show that EPFB ash contains a large amount of biogenic silica in its amorphous form. It could be extracted for further use via calcination at different temperatures and compared effectively to other biomass materials, such as rice husk ash, sugarcane bagasse, and cassava periderm. The extracted silica was characterized using XRF, XRD, TGA, SEM, and FTIR, revealing the highest silica concentration of 49.94% obtained at a temperature of 800 °C. The XRF analysis showed 99.44 wt.% pure silica, while the XRD spectrum showed that the silica in EPFB is inherently amorphous. As is evident from the study, silica obtained from EPFB ash is a potential source of silica and it is comparable to the commercial silica. Thus, it is potentially usable as a support for catalysts, in the development of zeolite-based catalysts and as an adsorbent.

Fabrication of Synthetic Zeolite from Sinabung Mountain Volcanic Ash via Sol-Gel Method

Fabrication of synthetic zeolite from Sinabung Mountain volcanic ash by Sol-Gel method. The zeolite is obtained by extraction of alkalis sodium silicate and sodium aluminate. At first volcanic ash was characterized using XRF and XRD analyses. The XRF analysis shows that silica is 44.8%. In contrast, XRD analysis showed a sharp peak at a 2Ѳ corner area of 27.55o to express bonded with silica mineral salt. At the same time, the silica characterization is done by FT-IR analysis. The FT-IR analysis shows the presence of Si-O-Si groups at wave numbers 1064.71 cm-1, 786.96 cm-1 and Si-OH at wave 3749.62 cm-1 and 3448.72 cm-1, identifying the presence of silica. The synthetic zeolite characterization analysis obtained is FT-IR, XRD, SEM-EDX, and BET analysis. In the FT-IR analysis, the O-Si-O group was obtained at wave 987,85 cm-1 and O-Al-O at wave 447,89-585,30 cm-1, identifying X zeolite. Diffractogram XRD showed a sharp peak at 66.8°, 28.12°, and 45.84°, forming mixed crystalline X and zeolite A. SEM-EDX analysis shows that zeolite morphology is tight and homogeneous and has a high aluminium content of 24.79 and Si 16.12. While for nitrogen desorption, adsorption analysis on pore size, surface area and pore volume are 3,22 nm, 61,86 m2/g and 0,095 cc/g. The result of synthetic zeolite isotherm adsorption-desorption shows type V showing mesoporous size.

Semi Pilot Scale Study on Production of Silica from Rice Husk Ash

Silica is a versatile material that has many uses in various industrial fields such as the rubber, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, catalysts, absorbents, and electronics. Rice husk ash (RHA) is one of the potential natural materials as a source of silica. Various studies to produce silica from RHA have been carried out by sol-gel method but are still on a laboratory scale. This research aims to study the production of silica from RHA using the sol-gel method on a semi pilot scale (3 kg raw material per process). The treatments studied were addition of boiling water to the reaction product after extraction during the filtration step (before the gelation process) and the gel drying methods. The characterization of silica was determined using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The best treatment with the highest yield (70.07%) and purity of silica (95.41%) was obtained by addition of boiling water to the reaction product and drying the gel using a mechanical dryer. The XRD results show that the silica produced has an amorphous phase, while the SEM results show an aggregate structure without cavities and tends to be wavy. The yield and purity of silica is relatively high so this process can be developed on a pilot scale. The utilization of RH or RHA into silica can reduce environmental problems caused by the accumulation of RH or RHA in very large quantities.

Extraction and Characterization of Silica from Reeds Biomass (Imperata cylindrical) in Various Annealing Temperature

Reeds biomass has been successfully extracted. It calcinated with annealing temperatures at 800 °C (A800), 850 °C (A850), and 900 °C (A900). The x-ray pattern showed that it has a cristoballite (SiO2) crystal structure. The band gap energy values are 3.8 eV, 3.7 eV and 4.7 eV, respectively. FTIR spectra show the groups are silanol, siloxane, and monohydride. Quantitatively, it provide results to determine the optical properties and dielectric functions which indicate shift to longer wavelengths with an increase in annealing temperature. The morphology gives different image where the particles are formed flakes (A800), aggregates (A850) and porous aggregates (A900). Full Text: PDF References A. F. Ramdja, R. A. Silalahi, N. Sihombing, "Pengaruh waktu, temperatur dan dosis H2SO4 pada hidrolisa asam terhadap kadar etanol berbahan baku alang-alang," J. Tek. Kim., 17, (2010). CrossRef Z. S. Osvaldo, P. Putra, M. Faizal, "Pengaruh konsentrasi asam dan waktu pada proses hidrolisis dan fermentasi pembuatan bioetanol dari alang-alang," J. Tek. Kim., 18, (2012). CrossRef I. S. Naji, N. A. Khalifa, and H. M. Khalaf, "Influence of annealing temperature on the physical properties of thin Cu2SiO4 films prepared by pulsed laser deposition," Dig. J. Nanomater. Biostructures, 12, 899 (2017). DirectLink M. Sahri, A. R. Tualeka, N. Widajati, "Quantitative risk assesment of crystalline silica exposure in ceramics industry," Indian J. Public Heal. Res. & Dev., 10, 601 (2019). CrossRef A. Berendjchi, R. Khajavi, M. E. Yazdanshenas, "Application of nanosols in textile industry," Int. J. Green Nanotechnol., 1, 1943089213506814 (2013). CrossRef P. Y. Steinberg, "Structural and mechanical properties of silica mesoporous films synthesized using deep X-rays: implications in the construction of devices," Front. Mater., 8, 27 (2021). CrossRef A. F. Lourenço, J. A. F. Gamelas, J. Sequeira, P. J. Ferreira, J. L. Velho, "Improving paper mechanical properties using silica-modified ground calcium carbonate as filler," BioResources, 10, 8312 (2015). CrossRef S. Begum, M. Allaudin, M. A. Qaiser, and F. KHAN, "Beneficiation of silica sand for the manufacturing of optical glass". J.Chem. Soc. Pakistan, 21, 83 (1999). DirectLink N. H. N. A. Hadi, A. Anuar, R. K. Shuib, "Effect of Different Salinization Methods of Silica Filler on Rubber Reinforcement," J. Eng., 15, 71 (2019). CrossRef K. Kayed and D. B. Kurd, "The effect of annealing temperature on the structural and optical properties of Si/SiO2 composites synthesized by thermal oxidation of silicon wafers," Silicon, 14, 5157 (2021). CrossRef F. Ravaux, N. S. Rajput, J. Abed, L. George, M. Tiner, M. Jouiad, "Effect of rapid thermal annealing on crystallization and stress relaxation of SiGe nanoparticles deposited by ICP PECVD," RSC Adv.,7, 32087 (2017). CrossRef H. Liu et al., "Design and synthesis of carbon-coated α-Fe2O3-Fe3O4 heterostructured as anode materials for lithium ion batteries," Appl. Surf. Sci., 495, 143590 (2019). CrossRef M. Ghasemifard, E. Fathi, M. Ghamari, "The effect of Fe3+-doped on structure and optical properties of mesoporous Al2O3/SiO2 composite," Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process., 42, 349 (2016). CrossRef X. Lu et al., "Effect of high-intensity ultrasound irradiation on the stability and structural features of coconut-grain milk composite systems utilizing maize kernels and starch with different amylose contents," Ultrason. Sonochem., 55, 135 (2019). CrossRef E. W. Juni, A. Arnelli, S. Sriatun, "Pemanfaatan Surfaktan Kationik Hasil Sublasi sebagai Molekul Pengarah pada Pembuatan Material Berpori dari Sekam Padi," J. Kim. Sains dan Apl., 15, 24 (2012). CrossRef F. Adam, K. Kandasamy, S. Balakrishnan, "Iron incorporated heterogeneous catalyst from rice husk ash," J. Colloid Interface Sci., 304, 137 (2006). CrossRef K. C. Wong, "Review of spectrometric identification of organic compounds." J. Chem. Educ., 92, 1602 (2015). CrossRef L. H. Abuhassan, "Enhancement of the production yield of fluorescent silicon nanostructures using silicon-based salts," Sains Malaysiana, 39, 837 (2010). DirectLink U. Kalapathy, A. Proctor, J. Shultz, "Silica xerogels from rice hull ash: structure, density and mechanical strength as affected by gelation pH and silica concentration", J. Chem. Technol. & Biotechnol., 75, 464 (2000) CrossRef

Preparation and characterization of silica from rice husk ash as a reinforcing agent in whey protein isolate biocomposites film

This research focused on extracting silica (SiO2) from rice husk ash (RHA) to eliminate the problem of local disposal from the rice mill industry. Here, the various potassium hydroxide (KOH) composition was proposed to identify SiO2 characteristic, which is crucial to the particle size. The resulting SiO2 was applied as a filler in whey protein isolate (WPI) biocomposite films. SiO2 was synthesized from the RHA by carrying out a KOH solution, then separated from the extracted SiO2 using hydrochloric acid (HCl). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering were used to characterize all the SiO2 material. It was found that the yield of SiO2 was 2.85%, 4.63%, 7.32%, 15.63%, and 27.42%, severally. When the concentration of KOH was 1 N, 1.5 N, 2 N, 2.5 N, and 3 N, the crystallinity was 20.53% to 55.20%. Besides, the particle size ranged from 2.61 to 0.14 µm and the particle distribution from 2.09 to 1.56 µm. The tensile strength and elongation of WPI biocomposite film using 5% SiO2 were 14.12 MPa and 30.70%, respectively. It can be summarized that SiO2 is the potential to be used as a filler agent in biocomposite film.

Characterization of silica (SiO<sub>2</sub>) based on beach sand from Sulawesi and Sumatra as silicon carbide (SiC) base material

Characterization of silica (SiO<sub>2</sub>) based on beach sand from Sulawesi and Sumatra as silicon carbide (SiC) base material

The preparation and characterization of silica from coconut husk

Agriculture wastes, especially ash containing silica, are auspicious sources of silica for synthetic amorphous silica production. In this research, coconut husk ash (CHA) was employed as a raw material to produce silica. Coconut husk was charred inside a furnace in controlled environment at 900 ºC. To extract silica, the formed ashes were treated with two separate chemical treatments. 5N H2SO4 was used in acid treatment while 2.5N NaOH followed by titration of 5N H2SO4 was used in alkali treatment. The prepared products were characterized by the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The data from FTIR characterization of coconut husk ash exposed that the presence of SiO2 increased after both chemical treatments especially in alkali treatment. The silica recovered from acid treatment was found between 25% to 68% while alkali treatment was at 76%.

Identifikasi Mineral Pasir Tiga Warna Pantai Puntaru Kabupaten Alor-NTT

Puntaru beach is famous for its three-colored sand that is mixed into one of them reddish-brown, black, and white sand. Research on the mineral composition of the tricolor sand has been conducted so that the use of three-colored sand is still done traditionally. This study aims to obtain information on the silica content and other mineral compositions of the three-colored sand of Puntaru Beach as initial data for further development. The three-color sand preparation process is carried out by the method of milling / crushing sand samples then sieving and washing with H2O. Stages of characterization of silica in three-colored sand were carried out using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR). The analysis showed that the percentage of Si was the most dominant 45.28%, followed by Fe 25.94% and other minor elements. XRD results show that the three-colored sand contains quartz mineral (SiO2) identified at the main peak with 2 with in the 24.34 ° area. The black color of the sand is influenced by Fe content of 25.94% with hematite metal oxide (Fe2O3) 15.80% and reddish-brown influenced by the presence of sulfur (3.25%) in the form of mineral SO3 4.32%.

Synthesis and Characterization of Silica Core/Multilayered Cobalt Ferrite-Silica Shell Particles for Lipase Immobilization

Multilayered core/shell particles were prepared by four-step deposition of cobalt ferrite layers and then deposition of external silica layer on the surface of silica core particles. The ferrite nanoparticles were obtained by co-precipitation of Co2+ and Fe3+ ions at pH=11 and pH=15, respectively. The agglomerated silica core/cobalt ferrite shell particles were obtained at extremely basic pH (pH=15), while at pH =11, monodispersed and non-aggregated core-shell particles were obtained. The poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride)-functionalized silica core/ferrite shell particles were used as templates for deposition of mesoporous silica layers (obtained by neutralization of highly basic sodium silicate solution). The obtained porous multilayered core/shell particles were used as a host for covalent lipase immobilization inside the external silica layer. The initial activity of immobilized enzymes was about 13-fold lower than the native one, however, it showed good reusability and improved thermal stability compared to native ones.

Characterization of Silica Extracted from Rice Husk by NIR Spectroscopy and its Application in Separation Science

Rice is one of the major crops and staple food of more than half of the world’s population. Its production generates an abundant by-product, namely rice husk (RH). Rice husk is used as a fuel for power generation. The rice husk ash (RHA) generated during combustion becomes an environmental pollutant and its disposal is difficult. In this work, rice husk was used to produce silica by burning in a furnace at 650°C for 4 hrs. The produced silica was characterized by Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and then used to prepare thin layer chromatography plates (TLC) for testing its efficiency in the separation of organic compounds. The NIR spectrum of rice husk ash showed the presence of combination band of silanol OH stretching and siloxane (Si-O-Si) bending at 4531 and the first overtone of the free silanol groups at 7321 cm-1. The bands are strikingly similar to the bands in NIR spectrum of commercial silica. The silica produced from rice husk ash proved to be an equally effective stationary phase on TLC plates as the commercially marketed silica in the separation of organic compounds. The research work clearly provides not only an alternative source of silica but also provides a solution for the effective use of an environmental pollutant.

Optimizing the immobilization of lipase enzyme (Aspergillus oryzae) in the silica and silica-cellulose matrix by adsorption method

Silica and silica-cellulose were safe biomaterials used as the matrix for immobilized enzyme or any bigger molecule. Some enzymes play role in some processes to biofuel production. In this study, the enzyme used was the lipase enzyme, to test the ability of the matrix as carrier. This research aimed to know the ability to immobilize lipase enzyme using adsorption method. Spectroscopy methods were involved. The research was divided into 4 steps (1) preparation of silica and silica-cellulose matrices, (2) characterization of silica and silica-cellulose, (3) immobilization of lipase enzyme on the silica and silica-cellulose which included activity test: optimum temperature, optimum pH, and optimum stirring speed, and (4) effectiveness of immobilized lipase enzyme on the silica and silica-cellulose. The result showed silica porous material as a matrix was more effective than silica-cellulose as matrix for lipase enzyme.

Alkalinized extraction of silica-aluminium nanocomposite from traditional Chinese joss paper: Optical characterizations

The Chinese traditional joss paper has been recycled and silica and aluminium nanocomposite production is reported in the current research, using an alkalinization procedure. Characterization of silica and aluminium nanocomposite extracted was performed using field-emission transmission electron microscope (FETEM), field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), UV–visible spectroscopy, high-power optical microscopy (HPM) and 3D nano profiler, indicates the size, shape and particle distribution, eventually reveals the purity of silica and aluminium nanocomposite synthesized. The silica-aluminium nanocrystal synthesized from joss paper waste was found to be ~15 nm size range under FETEM analysis and FESEM analysis revealed the uniform spherical shape. The energy disperse spectroscopy (EDX) data attained from FESEM analysis affirmed the synthesis of silica-aluminium nanocomposite with greater purity since the ratio of silicon to aluminium observed in EDX spectra was 13.24 to 7.96. HPM indicated the size of agglomerated aluminosilicate is 36.74 μm whereas 3D nano profiler has proven that the height of nanocrystal synthesized from joss paper waste is 234.37 μm. Band gap value of 3.84 eV, calculated using UV–vis absorbance readings further affirmed the size of nanocomposite which is in good agreement with presented results.

Preparation and characterization of silica aerogel/polytetrafluoroethylene composites

In order to improve their thermal insulation performance, silica aerogel reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites with 10–30 wt% silica aerogel were prepared and tested. The morphology, density, structure and thermal properties of the composites were characterized through scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and thermal conductivity analysis. A theoretical model of the effective thermal conductivity (ETC) was developed based on the three-level homogenisation theory. It was found that the density of the composites decreases linearly with the mass fractions of silica aerogel. The composites showed remarkable smaller pore radius (1–10 nm) when compared to that of the pure silica aerogel (10–35 nm). The FTIR and TG results confirmed that the reaction of silica aerogel and PTFE occurs during the mixture or heating stage. But the reaction did not effect the structure of the composites. Moreover, the ETC of the composites along the silica aerogel contents can be divided into two stages, where the critical content is 18 wt%. The lowest thermal conductivity can reach 0.13 W m−1·K−1. The ETC of the composites predicted by the theoretical model is in good agreement with those experiment results. The volume fractions of the PTFE in the silica aerogel pore are 87% and 73% for the two stages, respectively, and mainly the large pores on the surface of the silica aerogel particles are filled by PTFE.

Preparation, Characterization, and Application of Nanospherical α-Fe2O3 Supported on Silica for Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue

In the research, spherical α-Fe2O3 NanoParticles (NPs) were synthesized through Forced Hydrolysis and Reflux Condensation (FHRC) process and were supported on the surface of silica sand by Solid-State Dispersion (SSD) method. Characterization of silica and α-Fe2O3/SiO2 catalyst was done using Fourier-Transform InfraRed (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns and Brunauer, Emmet and Teller (BET) surface area. The supported α-Fe2O3/SiO2 nanocatalyst with the average crystallite size of 27.5 nm was used for photocatalytic removal of Methylene Blue (MB) from aqueous solutions under Ultra-Violet (UV) light.In order to optimization of effective parameters on MB degradation, the single-variable method was used. The optimal conditions were determined as pH=11, initial concentration of MB=10 ppm, and the mass of catalyst =1.0 g. Degradation efficiency in optimal conditions was 97.32%.

Characterization of Nanosilica and Comparing Its Effect on Crude Oils and Diesel Fuel

Heavy oils generally exhibit high viscosity, which is detrimental to their production, transport, and refining. The Oil & Gas industry has thoroughly investigated the use of chemical agents to improve the mobility of this type of low-quality crude oils at the surface as well as reservoir conditions for many years. In this sense the main objective of this work is to investigate the viscosity reduction of heavy oil resulting from the presence of silica nanoparticles by asphaltene adsorption process. Silica nanoparticles was produced successfully in this work from sand of Mount Sannam in Basra city (south of Iraq) by chemical and physical methods (SiO 2ch and SiO 2ph respectively). The XRD results indicated a high purity SiO 2ch NPs was produced with purity of 96.8%, while, the purity of SiO 2ph NPs was about 87.2%. The main particle size analyzer (PSA) were measured to be 35 nm and 22 nm for SiO 2ch and SiO 2ph respectively. On the other hand, the BET total surface area of SiO 2ch and SiO 2ph NPs were 520 m 2 /g and 705 m 2 /g respectively. Also, the SEM results showed a uniform distribution of nanoparticles for both prepared silica nanoparticles. The FTIR results indicated a high intensity bonds were formed due to present of functional groups of Si-O-Si, O-Si-O and Si-O. Two Iraqi crude oil samples was selected to be as base fluid with APIs (17.4 and 29.1). Also, diesel fuel with API= 40.91 was tested. For each hydrocarbon a nanofluid was prepared by adding silica nanoparticles to parent fluid. Four concentration of silica nanoparticles were added to the parent fluid (250, 500, 1000 and 1250 mg/L). And also, used a bath ultrasonic method for dispersing NPs inside the parent oils. Keywords: Petroleum Pipelines; natural nanoparticles; viscosity reduction; silica preparation; silica characterization; asphaltene adsorption; crude oil DOI : 10.7176/JNSR/9-4-08

Characterisation of silica derived from rice husk ash and nickel oxide at different composition and temperatures

Characterisation of silica derived from rice husk ash and nickel oxide at different composition and temperatures