Simultaneous removal of imidacloprid, carbendazim, and bispyribac sodium using zinc and bentonite functionalized rice husk biochar composite.

From waste to energy: Rice husk's role in zinc removal from synthetic solutions and its valorization in biogas production

Influence of steric hindrance created by silica in rice husk on evolution of products from pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization, activation and gasification

Functional bioplastics from agricultural wastes: Precursor engineering, composite strategies, and sustainable packaging performance.

Thermochemical pretreatment with ionic liquids for enhancing fermentative hydrogen production from rice husk

Sustainable production of high-purity amorphous silica from rice husk: A comparative study on the impact of fresh and reused hydrochloric acid leaching

Corrigendum to “Influence of rice husk dosage on PM emissions during the co-firing of coal with refuse derived fuel”. [Fuel 376 (2024) 132690

Valorization of rice husk biochar into Fe- and Mn-modified adsorbents: Contrasting mechanisms of metal oxides in tetracycline remediation

Template-assisted synthesis of LaCoO3 from bio-silica: Catalytic insights into rice husk pyrolysis

Thermo-kinetic modeling and thermo-catalytic conversion of rice husk into activated porous carbon via Coats Redfern approach

Silica derived from rice husk waste as anode material for lithium-ion battery: A comprehensive study

Dual stimuli-responsive carriers based on pectin-coated organosilica nanoparticles for improved in planta distribution and pest control efficacy.

Today, the solid waste problem is expanding at an alarming rate, and considering the scale of production and consumption, the textile industry contributes significantly to this waste. An indispensable component of fast fashion, polyamide-containing pantyhose are included in the disposable product group and cause irreversible loss of a very valuable raw material. The waste of this product group constitutes a hidden waste group that does not decompose in nature and has not yet been recycled. This study focuses on recycling polyamide-containing pantyhose waste and evaluating them in thermal insulation panel production. In this context, the process of opening the fibers of the pantyhose is carried out in a carding machine, and a hot press technique is utilized with the addition of low melting temperature polypropylene fibers as a binder, for panel production. Rice husk, which is a commonly known agricultural waste, is also introduced into the panels in different forms (granule and powder) for better air encapsulation. The effect of ply number (two and four) and the form of rice husk added as an additive on thermal and air permeability properties is examined within the framework of a full factorial experimental design plan. The findings obtained reveal that the variables affect both thermal insulation and air permeability properties both individually and in binary interactions. The lowest thermal insulation coefficient is obtained in the two plied, granule form rice husk added sample group (0.02117 W/mK), which also has the highest air permeability values (442.57 l/m 2 /s) and the results are found to be competitive with commercial products. This suggests that it is possible to use this waste group in sustainable panels for construction, and the findings reveal that it may create value in terms of both solid waste management and exploring new resources for polyamide-based fibrous products.

Organic agriculture relies on the in-field generation of nutrients through the decomposition and mineralization of organic matter (OM). Soil macro- and micro-organisms are vital for this self-sustaining nutrient production; however, insufficient organic matter, limited microorganisms, and poor soil conditions can impede the process. This study investigated the effects of biochar and mulching on the abundance and diversity of soil microorganisms (fungi) and macro-organisms (earthworms) under Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata) cultivation over two growing seasons in 2023. The site featured loamy soil with a pH of 5.5–6.0. Treatments included rice husks biochar (5 t/ha); rice husk mulching and compared to a control, using a completely randomized block design with three replicates. Measurements included fungal colony abundance, earthworm frequency, Simpson diversity index, and soil moisture retention under rainfed conditions with minimal irrigation during dry spells. Results showed that at a 5 cm soil depth, biochar increased fungal abundance by 32.05% compared to mulching, and by 113.35% relative to the control. Mulching also improved colony abundance by 61.57% over the control. At a depth of 10 cm, biochar enhanced colony abundance by 42.14% compared to mulching and by 42.82% relative to the control. The highest diversity index (0.596) was observed in biochar-treated blocks, while the control had the lowest (0.422). Earthworms were the most abundant macro-organisms in both treatments. Biochar’s characteristics may help recondition poor, acidic soils, improving conditions for macro and micro-organisms, thereby enhancing soil health and productivity. These microbial improvements could benefit not only Ethiopian mustard but also major cereal cropping systems. Biochar consistently increased fungal abundance and earthworm frequency across both season.

Abstract With the large-scale integration of renewable energy into the power system, its inherent volatility and uncertainty pose severe challenges to the scheduling and operation of the power system, which puts higher demands on the peak shaving response performance of thermal power generation units. This article uses the computational particle fluid dynamics method to numerically simulate the coupled combustion process of biomass-blended coal in a 90 kW circulating fluidized bed experimental device. Dynamic response characteristics of three typical biomass-coal co-firing systems (corn stalk, sawdust, and rice husk) were investigated. The results indicate that: (1) In terms of temperature response characteristics of CFB combustion of corn stalk blended coal with increasing feeding rate, the temperature response rate is relatively slow, but the stability is good. The temperature response rate during the combustion of sawdust-blended coal is the fastest, but the temperature stability is relatively weak. The temperature fluctuation during the combustion of rice husk blended coal is the greatest. (2) In terms of heat transfer rate, the combustion of corn stalk blended coal is the fastest, becoming stable first after the end of changing operating conditions, and has the maximum heat transfer rate. The heat transfer response rate during the combustion of rice husk blended coal is the slowest, and due to its low volatile matter content, the heat transfer rate fluctuates greatly after changing operating conditions. The combustion of sawdust-blended coal exhibits the most stable heat transfer characteristics due to its highest volatile matter content. (3) In terms of fluidization characteristics, the gas-solid flow velocity in the furnace increases with the increase of feed rate and fluidized air flow rate. Corn stalk blended coal exhibits the best performance in terms of combustion stability and flow rate. (4) Using thermal response rate and temperature response rate as evaluation criteria, the optimal biomass-to-coal blending ratio under varying operating conditions is determined to be 9:1.

Strength and cost analysis of geopolymer concrete using rice husk ash and GGBS as sustainable cement alternatives.

Biomass resources are regarded as a promising renewable energy alternative to fossil fuels in electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking. This research evaluates the feasibility of replacing natural gas (NG) with biomethane and coke fines with biochar in full-scrap EAF steel production through mass-energy, economic and emissions analyses. Results show that fully substituting NG with biomethane at 4.51 Nm 3 /t (136.6 MJ/t) increases production costs by about 0.4 to 1.6 USD/t. Replacing coke fines with biochar requires 25.6 kg/t of wood biochar (WB), 39.4 kg/t of rice husk biochar (RHB) and 60.0 kg/t of corn stover biochar (CSB). Power consumption changes include a decrease of 4.2 kWh/t for WB, and increases of 41.5 kWh/t for RHB and 63 kWh/t for CSB, relative to a baseline of 359.3 kWh/t crude steel (CS). These replacements increase production costs by approximately $7 to $23 USD/t. Regarding CO 2 emissions, biomethane substitution reduces emissions by 8.9 kg CO 2 eq/t CS (2.2%), while complete substitution with WB achieves the highest reduction of 83.8 kg CO 2 eq/t CS (20.9%). In contrast, RHB and CSB increase emissions by 3.6 and 42.7 kg CO 2 eq/t CS, respectively. Combining biomethane with WB can cut CO 2 emissions by 92.7 kg per ton of CS during EAF steelmaking. Overall, these findings indicate that biomass options could significantly enhance the environmental sustainability of EAF steelmaking.

Abstract Effective co-immobilization of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) in contaminated paddy soils remains a persistent challenge for conventional biochar amendments. To address this limitation, a magnetic biochar gel (FeRBG) was synthesized by integrating rice husk biochar, iron oxides, and graphene into a three-dimensional porous network. Its remediation performance and ecological effects were systematically evaluated in Sb-As co-contaminated soil-rice systems. Compared to pristine and Fe-modified biochar, FeRBG decreased (NH 4 )H 2 PO 4 -extractable Sb and As concentrations more significantly, by 23.1% and 22.3%, respectively, primarily by reducing non-specifically adsorbed fractions and promoting transformation into residual phases. Notably, FeRBG was the only amendment that significantly decreased Sb and As accumulation in rice grains by 16.1% and 34.0%, respectively, compared to the control. Furthermore, FeRBG enhanced root system architecture, increasing total root length, surface area, mean diameter, and tip number. Biochar amendment reshaped soil bacterial communities, with core taxa including Pirellulaceae, Nitrosomonadaceae , Sphingomonadaceae , and Comamonadaceae . Redundancy and correlation analyses revealed that soil Sb/As availability and Fe content were key environmental factors regulating bacterial community succession. Structural equation modeling revealed that FeRBG enhanced metalloid immobilization through Fe–O–Sb/As complexation, thus reducing grain accumulation and increasing rice yield. These findings provide a competitive functionalized biochar strategy for the sustainable remediation of Sb/As co-contaminated paddy soils and for improving rice cultivation.

Continuous cultivation in solar greenhouses degrades black soil, leading to soil-borne diseases, nutrient imbalances, reduced porosity, and microbial dysbiosis, all of which collectively decrease crop productivity. Improving soil structure and microbial balance often requires costly amendments that are inconsistent in their effectiveness. This study evaluated two low-cost soil amendments—carbonized rice hull (CRH) and fermented rice hull (FRH)—using colored pepper as a model crop. Treatments included soil mixed with 30% CRH (T1), 30% FRH (T2), and untreated black soil (CK). Both amendments significantly improved soil physical properties. Compared with CK, soil porosity increased by 8.80% in T1 and 17.84% in T2, while water-holding capacity increased by 75.32% and 133.45%, respectively. Soil microbial richness, as indicated by Abundance-based Coverage Estimator (ACE) and Chao indices, followed the order T2 > T1 > CK. Plant physiological performance was also enhanced. Net photosynthetic rate increased by 7.18% (T1) and 15.33% (T2), plant height increased by 14.42% (T1) and 28.85% (T2), and root activity improved significantly. Fruit weight increased by 15.33% in T1 and 21.62% in T2. Both rice hull amendments improved soil quality and promoted crop growth, with FRH performing consistently better. These findings indicate that fermented rice hull is a promising, low-cost strategy for greenhouse soil remediation.

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of substrates and illumination using light-emitting diodes on the total phenolic content (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC) of roselle microgreens. Light-emitting diodes such as red, blue, a combination of red and blue (RB) and white were used as artificial lights of the roselle microgreens. Cocopeat, carbonized rice hull (CRH) and vermiculite are the substrates of microgreens. Newly sown seeds were exposed to 48 hr of darkness followed by light exposure. Light exposure of 10 hr was done, depending on the LEDs (red (R), blue (B), RB and white), while 14 hr of darkness until 7 days after sowing (DAS), the time of harvesting (with true leaves). Roselle microgreens were grown under ambient conditions (temperature: 28 ± 3 °C; relative humidity: 60 ± 5 %). For a fresh yield of microgreens, blue LED + CRH and red LED + vermiculite obtained the highest. Roselle microgreens grow best in RB LED + cocopeat to obtain higher TPC and TFC. The antioxidant activity was higher in roselle microgreens grown under cocopeat and vermiculite with either blue, red, or RB LEDs. The availability of the substrate may be considered when combining it with the LED, using the following combinations to obtain high TPC and TFC. For TPC, these include cocopeat + RB, CRH + RB or white and vermiculite + white. For TFC, the suitable substrates are cocopeat and CRH + RB, as well as vermiculite + white.