Leaf Ash Research Articles

Bio‐derived sodium silicate for the manufacture of alkali‐activated binders: Use of bamboo leaf ash as silicate source

AbstractAlkali activated binders are a promising alternative to the use of Portland cement in the manufacture of concrete for curbing CO2 emissions. Novel sources of silicates have been investigated in recent years for reducing cost and environmental impacts associated with the use of chemical activators. This study describes the production of solid sodium silicate (SS) activating powder from bamboo leaf ash (BLA). Bamboo leaves were calcined at 550–800°C, mixed with NaOH pellets, and heated in an oven at 300°C. The obtained silicate powder was used for activating blended fly ash/slag samples. Mechanical and microstructural properties of BLA‐based samples were compared to those of samples made with commercially available chemicals. The strength of BLA‐activated mortars matched the commercially‐sourced activators, being 25–30 MPa at 7 days and exceeding 40 MPa at 28 days. The microstructural analysis suggested that BLA‐based SS showed a lesser degree of dissolution of precursors at 7 days, but the quality of the matrix was higher than that of NaOH‐activated samples. These results confirmed that the reactivity of BLA‐silicate powder was similar to that of commercial SS solutions, and show the potential valorization of future biomass renewable waste in the production of low carbon, alkali‐activated concretes.

Mechanical and Durability Studies on Ficus exasperata Leaf Ash Concrete

This paper reports the effect of snake grass (SG) fibers in Ficus exasperata Leaf Ash (FELA) concrete. Snake grass fibers of percentages 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 were used in this investigation. Tests of compressive strength, split tensile strength, and flexural strength and durability studies of salt resistance, sulphate resistance, and impact energy resistance were determined, and the test results are discussed in detail. Test results revealed that FELA ash of 15% replacement in cement showed remarkable binding property. Moreover, incorporation of snake grass fiber in concrete improves the strength, postcracking resistance, and energy absorption. It is also observed that 1.5% snake grass fiber incorporation in concrete exhibited better strength properties and energy absorption property than 0.5% and 1%. Also, beyond 1.5%, there is significant reduction in workability property. Regardless of durability property, the mix containing 1.5% snake grass fiber has shown better resistance against durability when compared with other mixes. It is also observed that penetration of chloride and sulphate ions made slight deterioration at sharp edges. Moreover, test results revealed that applications of FELA concrete with snake grass fiber can be effectively expanded in the construction industry.

Synthesis and Characterization of Phosphoric Silica Catalyst from Bamboo Leaves for Production of Triacetin

In this research, the bamboo leaf shows promise as an alternative raw material for silica production. This study investigated the performance of heterogeneous catalyst prepared from silica derived bamboo leaf ash after that impregnated with phosphoric acid at ratio various. The catalyst was characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Brunauer Emmet Teller (BET) and Barrett, Joyner and Halenda (BJH) method and triacetin product analyzed by GC-MS. The optimum condition phosphoric silica catalyst was obtained at phosphoric silica molar ratio of 1:2 and employed in the acetylation of glycerol, respectively. As result, 24 % selectivity for triacetin was obtained in the presence of catalytic amount 5%, molar ratio 1:9 at 100 °C for 4 hours. Bamboo leaf derived phosphoric silica calcined showed high potential to be used as an easy to prepare and high-performance solid catalyst for industrial scale.

Removal of Methyl Red Dye Effectively Using Sorbents Obtained from Bark and Leaf of Erythrina Indica

Dyes entering wastewaters affect both the aquatic creatures and humankind because they are toxic while also carcinogenic. As this is a trouble-free yet effective process, the adsorption system technology is being extensively employed to remove colors all from aqueous solutions for years. We investigated the use of Erythrina indica (EI) leaf powder, bark powder, leaf ash and bark ash for the adsorption of methyl red dye (MRD) from aqueous samples for its first time. The %MRD clearance using EI leaf powder, EI leaf ash, EI bark powder and EI bark ash displayed that the optimal condition of MRD clearance happened at pH unit of 4, 100 ppm concentration of MRD, sorbent dose at 1.4 gm/l, 27 oC temperature, and mechanical shaker agitation speed of 100 rpm. The best equilibration times for greatest percentile MRD removal were 105 minutes with EI leaf powder, EI leaf ash, EI bark powder and EI bark ash. The leaf and bark powder of EI and leaf and bark ash of EI can be considered an alternative feedstock in eliminating MRD in aqueous system because of its strong biosorption capacity and low cost, according to this study.

Impacts of Conifer Leaf and Pine Ashes on Concrete Thermal Properties

Impacts of Conifer Leaf and Pine Ashes on Concrete Thermal Properties

Study on supplementary cementitious materials for sustainable development of concrete

Modern society makes extensive use of concrete for construction. The demand for concrete is increasing daily as a result of the expansion of urbanization and industrialization. To produce concrete, a lot of raw materials and natural resources are needed. A significant quantity of industrial waste, agricultural waste, and other types of solid material disposal are simultaneously creating significant environmental problems. The use of artificial wastes as supplementary materials, the source of which are both reliable and suitable for alternative preventive solutions, promotes the environmental sustainability of the industry by minimizing and reducing the negative effect of the concrete industry due to the explosive usage of raw materials. Recent use of such products to be utilized as a partial replacement for Portland cement (PC) in cementitious systems is investigated in terms of material qualities and the extent to which they can be replaced in cementitious systems. In particular, Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCM) can improve material qualities such as flowability, strength and durability. Conventional concrete was utilized as the design mix proportion, with 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of the cement being replaced with industrial waste such as fly ash and hypo sludge. The test's 30% replacement level produced the best compressive stress when waste paper was used, where strength is less important or where the construction is only expected to be used temporarily, and design mix proportions up to 40% replacement can also be used. The optimal level of Rice Husk Ash (RHA) replacement in concrete is 10%, which has been shown to significantly increase compressive strength at 28 days when compared to the control mix. It reveals that the Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA) concrete, used as a concrete control in this investigation, has a higher compressive strength than Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) Concrete. This paper examines the potential application of industrial and agricultural wastes as additional cementitious material in the manufacture of concrete. It focuses on describing the engineering, physical, and chemical properties of these wastes to demonstrate the concept of using them. This gives an overview of the knowledge that is now available regarding the successful use of synthetic wastes in the concrete industry, including fly ash, slag, silica fume, rice husk ash, palm oil fuel ash, sugar cane bagasse ash, wood waste ash, and bamboo leaf ash.

Highly efficient non-microwave instant heating synthesis of hexyl levulinate fuel additive enhanced by sulfated nanosilica catalyst

Highly active and recyclable sulfated silica nanocatalyst for the synthesis of hexyl levulinate (HL) is reported. The sulfated catalysts, Sn-BLA (n = 15 or 30 μL of H2SO4 added), are prepared via sulfation upon amorphous bamboo leaf ash (BLA) under non-microwave instant heating condition (100 °C, 1.5 h). The spectroscopy and microscopy results reveal that silica nanoparticles (28 nm) with Brӧnsted ( bisulfate group) and Lewis ( sulfate group) acid sites are produced upon sulfation treatment. The sulfur containing acid groups covalently bound on the mesosilica surface are very active in the esterification of levulinic acid and hexanol where S30-BLA presents excellent catalytic activity (95.2% conversion, 98.0% selective to HL) at 90 °C for 7 min, which is far more superior than the previously reported catalysts. The S30-BLA catalyst is reusable with slight decrease in catalytic activity after six consecutive runs, suggesting an economical and environment-friendly route to biomass utilization.

Optimal water-cement ratio and volume of superplasticizers for blended cement-bamboo leaf ash high-performance concrete

Optimal water-cement ratio and volume of superplasticizers for blended cement-bamboo leaf ash high-performance concrete

Geotechnical and microstructural properties of cement-treated laterites stabilized with rice husk ash and bamboo leaf ash

This study investigated the geotechnical and microstructural properties of cement-treated laterites stabilized with rice husk ash and bamboo leaf ash. In going about the tests, the soil sample was subjected to compaction, California Bearing Ratio (CBR) and preliminary tests; such as specific gravity, particle size distribution and Atterbergs limits to determine its index properties. Thereafter, the soil sample was mixed with cement at varying proportions of 0–12% at 2% intervals and also, separately mixed with bamboo leaf ash (BLA) and rice husk ash (RHA) in proportions of 0–16% at 2% intervals. The mixes at each stage were subjected to compaction, Atterberg limits and CBR tests. The highest values were 66.7% and 54.8% for unsoaked and soaked CBR at 6% cement+8% BLA and 78.5% and 63.8% for unsoaked and soaked CBR at 8% cement+8% RHA. Samples at these optimal CBR values were subjected into Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) tests. Results showed that new compounds were formed and there were changes in the microstructural arrangements. It can therefore be concluded that pozzolanic and cement hydration reactions actually took place in the course of stabilization.

Experimental Investigation on Effect of Partial Replacement of Cement with Bamboo Leaf Ash on Concrete Property

Ethiopia’s construction industry is aggressively expanding than ever before. Cement is the most essential and expensive material in this regard. Cement takes 10%–15% by volume of concrete. Nowadays, the construction industry is challenged by the scarcity of cement and price escalation of the cement market. However, scholars try to replace cement with pozzolanic material. Besides this, they investigated that bamboo leaf ash possesses pozzolanic properties. Ethiopia has about 850,000 hectares of lowland bamboo, so it is good to utilize bamboo leaf ash as a replacement material for cement. In this study, the capability of lowland Ethiopian bamboo leaf ash as a partial substitute for cement in C-25 concrete production with 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% replacement of OPC by BLA with 0.49 percent water-to-cement ratio was investigated. This study examines the chemical properties of BLA, physical properties of cement paste, workability, compressive strength, water absorption, density, and sulfate attack of concrete. The chemical composition of bamboo leaf ash was examined, the summation of SiO2, AlO3, and FeO3 is 76.35%, and the ash was classified class N pozzolan. The normal consistency percentage of water increases as the BLA replacement amount increases, and both initial and final setting time ranges increase as the BLA replacement amount increases. The compressive strength of concrete for 5% and 10% BLA achieves the target mean strength (33.5 MPa) on the 28th day, and on the 56th day, 5% and 10% replacements increase the concrete strength by 1.84% and 0.12%, respectively. The water absorption and sulfate attack have significant improvement of the BLA-blended concrete on 5% and 10% BLA content. According to the findings, bamboo leaf ash potentially substitutes cement up to 10%. The outcome of the study will balance the cement price escalation and increase housing affordability without compromise in quality.

STUDIES REGARDING WHEAT LEAVES INVESTMENTS IN RELATION WITH NITROGEN SUPPLY

The purpose of this research was to describe the behavior of some determined and calculated indices for wheat leaves samples in relation with ammonium nitrate fertilizing dose. Also, relations between these indices were done. Wheat, Triticum aestivum, Ciprian cultivar, was grown within the Didactic Station of Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “King Michael I of Romania” from Timisoara in 2018-2019 agricultural year. Here the soil can be described as cambic chernozem, partially gleized. Wheat plants were fertilized with ammonium nitrate in five experimental doses, 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha-1, respectively. Healthy, intact, with no visible damage leaves were harvested (BBCH Code 45) and taken into a laboratory. The samples were scanned, dried in an oven, incinerated and organic matter per surface (OMPS) was determined. This index described the realized investments in organic substances in the case of leaves and had bigger values for doses between 100 and 200 kg ha-1 N. Moreover, classical gravimetric indices, LDW – leaf dry weight, LAC – leaf ash content, OM – organic matter, were determined in order to realize correlation analysis between all parameters. Also, foliar areas, perimeters and lengths were determined. Mathematical models for foliar area, leaf dry weight and organic matter determination in relation with other indices were developed. Positive correlation were noticed between the majority of the studied indices. Also, PCA and Cluster analysis were realized, resulting in two major groups of plants: those fertilized with N0 and N50, and another group formed by N100, N150 and N200 group.

Comparative analysis of increasing CBR value of soil with adding bamboo leaf ash

Consider the importance of the subgrade strength in road building since its strength impacts the soil's performance in absorbing the load on it. One of the efforts to improve the subgrade, which has a low bearing capacity, is by stabilizing the soil using bamboo leaf ash. This study aims to analyze the increase in CBR value with the addition of bamboo leaf ash. The analysis results showed that bamboo leaf ash from the furnace combustion process with a temperature range of 800 o C-1000 o C produced a higher CBR strength value than bamboo leaf ash from ordinary combustion without a furnace. The result is the higher silica content in the bamboo leaf ash from the furnace combustion process. This silica has pozzolanic and self-cementing properties, namely the ability to harden and increase strength when reacted with water. The addition of bamboo leaf ash with ordinary burning resulted in the optimum CBR value at seven days of curing of 13.1% at 10% bamboo leaf ash variation. At the same time, bamboo leaf ash with Furnace combustion resulted in optimum CBR values of 34.99% and 38.21% at 6% variation of bamboo leaf ash. Dalam konstruksi jalan mempertimbangkan nilai kekuatan tanah dasar, karena nilai kekuatan tanah dasar mempengaruhi performa tanah dalam menerima beban di atasnya. Salah satu upaya yang dapat dilakukan untuk memperbaiki tanah dasar yang memiliki daya dukung rendah yaitu dengan cara stabilisasi tanah menggunakan abu daun bambu. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melakukan analisa peningkatan nilai CBR dengan penambahan abu daun bambu. Hasil analisa menunjukkan bahwa abu daun bambu dari proses pembakaran furnace dengan range suhu 800 o C-1000 o C menghasilkan nilai kekuatan CBR lebih besar dibandingkan dengan abu daun bambu dari pembakaran biasa tanpa furnace. Hal ini disebabkan karena adanya kandungan silika yang lebih tinggi yang ada pada abu daun bambu dari proses pembakaran furnace. Silika ini memiliki sifat pozzolanic dan self cementing yaitu kemampuan untuk mengeras dan meningkatkan kekuatan jika bereaksi dengan air. Penambahan abu daun bambu dengan pembakaran biasa menghasilkan nilai CBR optimum pada pemeraman 7 hari sebesar 13,1% pada variasi abu daun bambu 10%. sedangkan abu daun bambu dengan pembakaran Furnace menghasilkan nilai CBR optimum sebesar 34,99% dan 38,21% pada variasi abu daun bambu 6%.

Mechanical properties of SiC and neem leaf powder reinforced Al-6063 hybrid metal matrix composites

In this study, stir casting is used to fabricated aluminum alloy Al-6063 based metal matrix composites. Industrial waste i.e. SiC (2, 4, and 6 wt%) and, natural waste i.e. neem leaf ash (2, 3, and 4 wt%) powders are used as reinforcement materials. Mechanical properties i.e. tensile strength, impact strength, and hardness are evaluated experimentally. All composites show the increment in tensile strength, impact strength, and hardness with the addition of SiC and Neem leaf ash powders. Moreover, the highest tensile strength, hardness and, impact strength are evaluated for the 6 wt% SiC powder with 4 wt% of neem leaf ash reinforced composites.

Palm leaf ash as a biosorbent for improving the efficiency of the silver removal process

Abstract: Water pollution caused by heavy metals due to the increasing growth of industries is very worrying. Among heavy metals, evaluating the effect of silver (Ag) toxicity and its challenges on human and environmental health is very important and fundamental. This paper, for the first time, assessed the ability of palm leaf ash (PLA) as a biosorbent to reduce the amount of water-soluble Ag cations from water. To do so, the effect of adsorbent amount, contact time, initial concentration of Ag ions, pH of the solution, and the temperature was evaluated on the adsorption process. The adsorption process was more consistent with the Freundlich isothermal model and the pseudo-second-order model was in better agreement with experimental data. The results of the experiments showed that the removal percentage of Ag ions and adsorption capacity was accrued from 91.84 to 99.94% and from 25.89 to 52.771 mg/g with increasing pH from 3 to 8 respectively and the enthalpy of the adsorption process (ΔH) was 6996.36 j/mol. Furthermore the removal efficiency of Ag at the initial concentration was obtained at 99.7%, Therefore, it can be concluded that cheapness, and abundance and high sorption capacity are the main advantages of this adsorbent.

Estimation of genetic variability and correlation among different ryegrass genotypes for fodder yield and quality related traits.

Ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is the most important fodder crop grown worldwide. The presentresearch work was carried out at the research area of MNS university of Agriculture, Multan.Twenty ryegrass accessions were sown in three replications following a randomized completeblock design. Analysis of variance showed that genotypes significant for all traits instead offresh fodder yield and dry fodder yield. The genotypes 193145 and 196538 showed bestresults for most of the traits studied. The phenotypic and genotypic positive and significantassociation of plant height, leaf area and dry weight with fresh fodder yield was observed.Dry fodder yield had a positive and significant association with plant height and leaf area,fresh weight, crude protein and ash contents at genotypic level. So, the dry weight hadhighest positive direct effect on fresh fodder yield followed by number of tillers. Leaf areaand crude protein was negative direct effect on fresh fodder yield. The highest positiveindirect effect by crude protein via dry fodder yield followed by number of tillers and leafarea. It was concluded that plant height, number of tilers, plant height, leaf area and dryweight will be used as selection criteria for improving the fodder yield.

Estimation of genetic variability and correlation among different ryegrass genotypes for fodder yield and quality related traits.

Ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is the most important fodder crop grown worldwide. The presentresearch work was carried out at the research area of MNS university of Agriculture, Multan.Twenty ryegrass accessions were sown in three replications following a randomized completeblock design. Analysis of variance showed that genotypes significant for all traits instead offresh fodder yield and dry fodder yield. The genotypes 193145 and 196538 showed bestresults for most of the traits studied. The phenotypic and genotypic positive and significantassociation of plant height, leaf area and dry weight with fresh fodder yield was observed.Dry fodder yield had a positive and significant association with plant height and leaf area,fresh weight, crude protein and ash contents at genotypic level. So, the dry weight hadhighest positive direct effect on fresh fodder yield followed by number of tillers. Leaf areaand crude protein was negative direct effect on fresh fodder yield. The highest positiveindirect effect by crude protein via dry fodder yield followed by number of tillers and leafarea. It was concluded that plant height, number of tilers, plant height, leaf area and dryweight will be used as selection criteria for improving the fodder yield.

PENGARUH STABILISASI ABU DAUN BAMBU DAN SEMEN TERHADAP KEMBANG SUSUT (SWELLING) TANAH LEMPUNG EKSPANSIF

Soft clay is a soil type mostly found in Indonesia. This type of soil requires treatment because of its poor properties. These properties have a relatively low bearing capacity in water saturated conditions, high swelling potential, and high plasticity. These are several methods to improve clay soil, including soil stabilization. Soil stabilization is a method of mixing pozzolanic materials such as cement and bamboo leaf ash with the natural soil. The purpose of this addition is to reduce the characteristics of expansive clay such as high swelling potential. The research focused on the results of swelling testing using an oedometer test and was carried out using 6 sample variants using cement with a percentage of 12% of the dry mass of soil and bamboo leaf ash with a percentage of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% of the total weight of cement used. Preliminary research is carried out before the core research. The research included examining the original soil parameters, mineral content, and pozzolanic content of bamboo leaf ash. The results of the preliminary research showed that the natural soil is classified as a high plasticity (CH) clay group and had a high potential for swelling and shrinkage. Whereas in the pozzolanic material test, bamboo leaf ash contained a chemical compound of SiO2 as much as 79.68%. Based on the results, cement and bamboo leaf ash as stabilization agents succeeded in reducing the swelling value of the soil from 15.71% to 4.33% in the S100ADB0 and 6.07% variations in S75ADB25.

Experimental Study on Slump and Strength Properties of Concrete by Replacement of Cement Using Banana Leaf Ash

Concrete is a composite material, made up of cement, fine aggregates and coarse aggregates. Cement is a basic constituent of concrete and it acts as a binding material. A major drawback in cement is that it emits Carbon dioxide in to the environment. Cement industry serves as the primary producer of carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas. This project is directed to replace the cement in concrete partially by naturally available agro based materials. Here, the cement in concrete is replaced using banana leaf ash . Banana Leaf ash is finely powdered in to ash of fineness more or less equal to the fineness of cement. It is then added to the concrete mix of grade M25 partially by replacing 10% to the mass of cement. The properties and performance of the concrete (i.e., fresh and hardened properties of concrete) are examined before and after the replacement of banana leaf ash and reported. Workability, which is a property of fresh concrete, is estimated with the help of slump cone test. The workability value obtained for normal conventional concrete is low and with the banana leaf ash replaced concrete is medium workability. The compressive strength of concrete cubes is tested after period of 7, 14 and 28 days of curing. As a result, the compressive strength of the conventional M25 grade concrete at 7, 14 and 28 days are found to be 16.75Nmm-2, 20.17Nmm-2 and 23.41Nmm-2 whereas for concrete with banana leaf ash, the compressive strength is found to be 9.385 Nmm-2, 16.855 Nmm-2 and 26.37Nmm-2 . The increase in strength in banana leaf ash concrete at 28 th day is found to be 12.64%. The replacement of Banana leaf ash in concrete deteriorates the carbon emission and it is also a type of waste management.

Effects of nano cotton stalk and palm leaf ashes on ultrahigh-performance concrete properties incorporating recycled concrete aggregates

The demand for partial replacement and complementary products of cement to enhance the properties of concrete and reduce the environmental pollution from the cement industry is recently increasing. Nano cotton stalk ash (NCSA) and palm leaf ash (PLA) are agricultural residues resulting from the burning of cotton stalk and palm leaves used as biomass. This investigation aims to study the effect of using NCSA and PLA as partial replacements to cement in ultrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC). As partial replacements for cement mass, 0%, 2.5%, 5, 7.5% and 10% of NCSA and 10%, 20% and 30% of PLA were adopted to produce the UHPC. Sixteen mixtures were prepared to evaluate the new and mechanical properties of UHPC containing the NCSA and the PLA. In addition, NCSA and PLA morphologies were evaluated using a scanning electron microscope, and thermogravimetric analysis with differential thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction was applied to assess ash characteristics. Results of the microstructure tests showed that heat treatment of the ash improved its properties by removing carbon and unburned organic matter with a slight change in the mineral composition of the PLA. The increase in the cement replacement rates by ashes led to a decrease in the slump flow, whilst the largest slump flow reduction was recorded in the mix containing 30% of PLA and 10% of NCSA as a replacement of Portland cement by 14.5% mm compared with the reference mix. The application of replacement rates by 2.5% and 5% of NCSA and 20% of PLA by cement mass to produce UHPC respectively realised the highest compressive strengths of 161.7 and 170.1 MPa at 90 days. Moreover, the mixture containing 20% of PLA with 5% of NCSA achieved the highest values of splitting tensile strength, flexural strength and elastic modulus.

Utilization of bamboo leaf silica as a superhydrophobic coating using trimethylchlorosilane as a surface modification agent

In recent years, there has been an increasing research interest regarding the development of superhydrophobic coating for various purposes with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the source of silica. Unfortunately, TEOS is hazardous as an alkoxide and need long step as well as time consuming to synthesize it. Typically, previous researches using fluoroalkylsilane (FOK) as the surface modification agent is containing fluoro compound which is not safety to use. This paper is aimed to develop a cost-effective and environmental-friendly superhydrophobic coating by utilizing bamboo leaf silica. This work was particularly conducted to develop the method of purification of bamboo leaf ash as the source of silica to produce superhydrophobic coating material. This method could be an effective and efficient way of preparing a superhydrophobic coating using silica bamboo leaf with eco-friendly solvent exchange agents. This observation used n-hexane, cyclohexane, isooctane as a solvent exchange, and trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) as a surface modification agent which is not containing fluoro component. The initial bamboo leaf silica and purified silica were examined using XRD, BET, XRF, and SEM EDX Mapping to obtain essential information such as structure, porosity, purity, and surface topography. Also, the coated zinc plat with different solvents was assessed hydrophobicity by contact angle measurement and surface morphology by SEM. The efficient and effective formulation of the superhydrophobic coating was attained by applying n-hexane solvent, 13 %-v/v TMCS, 1.75 %-w/v of bamboo leaf silica was the highest of contact angle.