Rice Straw Fiber Research Articles

Experimental Investigation on Mechanical Properties of Compressed Soil Blocks Manufactured Using Waste Materials

This experimental investigation is done on the earth compressed block prepared by the Waste material. These waste materials are Rice Straw Fiber, marble powder, and Sugarcane Bagasse ash. This waste pollutesthe environment and creates the problem of disposal. Redbrick needs heat treatment which results in air pollution, cement bricks need water for curing which needs waterusage in huge quantity. Marble powder stabilized bricks need sun drying. An increase in marble content in the bricks results in the increment of compressive strength due to the presence of calcium content in the marble powder.it also increases the dry density of the brick because marble powder doesnot absorbs water and can easily fill the voids created by the soil,Sugarcene Bagasse ash andRice Straw fiber. Rice Straw Fiber reduces the compression of bricks reason is fiber cuts off on the pressure and it also creates voids when blended with the soil mix making usage of bagasse in the brick can help in increasing the strength of the concrete due to its pozzalonic action with cement but bagasse ash reduces the dry density of bricks and doesnot affect the strength of bricks because its creates voids and it is chemically neutral in bricks.

Experimental Study of Compressed Soil Bricks with Partial Replacement of Soil by Bagasse Ash, Marble Powder and Rice Straw

The problem of pollution is increasing daily due to excessive production and improper disposal of the waste. some waste like ashes and stone powder can be easily utilize in the concrete or with any other construction material like paver block or bricks. To utilize material like marble powder bagasse ash and rice straw effectively the experimental study of Earth compressed bricks is conducted. This paper deals about the mechanical properties of earth compressed bricks which are made up of soil and the add-ons are marble powder, bagasse ash and rice straw fiber with different ratios of combination. This ratios are for marble powder 20%, 30% and 40%. for bagasse ash it is 7% 10% and 13% and for rice straw it is .5%, .75% and 1%. The compression property of bricks is increased when the marble powder is increased with less water absorption in soil because waste marble powder does not absorbs water and due to its fine partical size it fills the voids in the bricks and creates good packing of the bricks. Water is absorbed by Rice Straw and bagasse ash which results in increase of the water absorption capacity of earth compressed bricks.

Compatibility between Rice Straw Fibers with Different Pretreatments and Ordinary Portland Cement.

The compatibility between crop straw and Portland cement greatly restrict the application of crop straw in cement-based materials. In this study, rice straw fibers with different pretreatments were added to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), and the influence of different rice straw fiber (RF) content on the hydration process of OPC was measured using calorimeter tests. Additionally, compatibility between RF and OPC was evaluated using the inhibitory index. As a result, steam explosion treatment of rice straw removed most hemicellulose and post-treatment bleaching was used for delignification. As compared with the pure OPC, addition of RF inhibited the hydration of OPC, and the inhibition degree reduced with the increase in pretreatment degree of RF. The inhibitory index grade of different RF filled OPC (RF-OPC) samples is directly related to hemicellulose and lignin content. Compared with lignin, hemicellulose has a greater influence on cement hydration. Without considering the influence of other components, the RF-OPC samples with hemicellulose content of 1.54 wt.% reached the inhibitory index extreme grade, and the hemicellulose content of 2.05 wt.% led to the cessation of cement hydration. The inhibitory index of the samples with 2.05 and 0.85 wt.% lignin content is moderate and low grade, respectively. In addition, the results of XRD patterns and SEM images are consistent with those of heat of hydration. In terms of mechanical properties of cement-based composites with 10 wt.% rice straw fibers, pretreatment of fibers is beneficial to improving the fracture toughness of the samples.

High efficient adsorption accompanied by in-situ reduction of Cr(VI) removal by rice straw fiber ball coated with polypyrrole

Rice straw fiber ball coated with polypyrrole (PPy-SFB), a novel adsorbent, was prepared from waste rice straw through in-situ oxidative polymerization of pyrrole monomer. The Cr(VI) adsorption characteristics of PPy-SFB were investigated not only in batch experiments but also in the column experiments, the isothermal models (Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin), the kinetic models (Pseudo-first-order kinetic, Pseudo-second-order kinetic and Intra-particle diffusion models), and the dynamic models (Adams-Bohart, Thomas and Yoon-Nelson) were used to describe the adsorption behavior. The Cr(VI) removal mechanism of PPy-SFB was revealed by studying the effect of pH on adsorption, testing of Cl−, and analyzing the XPS. The results showed that PPy-SFB could efficiently adsorb and reduce Cr(VI) from water, and the maximum adsorption capacity reached 122.15 mg g−1 at 30 ℃ and pH = 3.0. Adsorption of Cr(VI) by PPy-SFB followed the Langmuir isotherm model, Pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Yoon-Nelson model. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔG0 < 0, ΔH0 > 0 and ΔS0 > 0) indicated that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous in nature. The electrostatic interaction, ion exchange between Cl− and Cr(VI), and reduction of the PPy-SFB surface were attributed to the high efficient removal of Cr(VI). In addition, the adsorbed Cr(VI) was recovered in the form of pure Cr2O3 by simple incineration.

Comparative study of high-density polyethylene-based biocomposites reinforced with various agricultural residue fibers

The characteristics of natural fibers have significant effects on properties of natural fiber/polymer composites (NFPCs). Herein, agricultural residues (ARs) fibers, including wheat straw (WS), rice straw (RS), rice husk (RH), sugarcane bagasse (SB), cotton stalk (CS), and Moso bamboo fiber (MB) were selected as reinforcement to fabricate NFPCs via extrusion processing. The chemical and physical properties of the fibers were determined. The mechanical properties, hygroscopicity, rheological properties, and dimensional stability of the resulting composites were studied. The MB fiber had the highest α-cellulose content (46.4 %), lignin content (26.4 %), and crystallinity index (60.2 %). The CS fiber contained the lowest α-cellulose content (29.1 %) and the highest extractive content (8.9 %). RS and RH fibers, which with much higher ash content than the other fibers, had the lowest lignin (11.9 %) and extractive (2.7 %) contents, respectively. A reduction of fiber length and L/D can be observed after extrusion. SB fibers (794.4 μm) was longer than other ARs fibers, and the MB and RH had the highest (3.6) and lowest (2.0) L/D, respectively. Addition of ARs fibers in HDPE can improve the tensile and flexural strength, and the mechanical modulus of composites was more than 3 times higher than HDPE. The best mechanical properties, dimensional stability, and thermostability were obtained for the MB-based composite. Composite filled with RH showed the poorest mechanical properties but the best processability. CS-and RS-based composites exhibited much lower Vicat softening temperature (85.57 °C and 87.24 °C) due to the lower α-cellulose content and higher extractive content in the fibers. The ARs had the great potential as fillers to prepare NFPCs. It is anticipated that the findings will provide useful design inputs for making construction and building materials.

Eco-Friendly Rice Straw Paper Coated with Longan (Dimocarpus longan) Peel Extract as Bio-Based and Antibacterial Packaging.

This study aimed to develop active paper from rice straw fibers with its function as antibacterial activity obtained from longan (Dimocarpus longan) peels. The morphology and mechanical properties of fibers of rice straw were examined as quality parameters for paper production. Rice straw paper (RSP) with basis weight ca 106.42 g/m2, 0.34 mm thickness, 34.15% brightness, and 32.26 N·m/g tensile index was successfully prepared from fibers and pulps without chemical bleaching process. Bioactive compounds of longan peels were extracted using maceration technique with a mixture of ethanol-water, and subsequently coated onto RSP at concentration of 10%, 15% and 20% (w/v). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis demonstrated the functional groups of phytochemicals in the peel extract. The results of physical properties showed that the coated RSP had similar thickness and tensile index, but had lower brightness compared to control papers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the significantly different of surface and cross-section structures between coated and uncoated RSP. The coated RSP had relatively greater barrier properties to prevent water absorption. In addition, the RSP coated with longan peel extracts showed significant antibacterial activity against foodborne bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. This study reveals the benefits of natural byproducts as potential materials for active packaging prepared by environmentally friendly processes.

Evaluation of the mechanical behaviour of cement - stabilised collapsible soils treated with natural fibres

ABSTRACT Studying the effect of different percentages of mixing rice straw fibres (RSF) on the compressive strength (CS) of collapsible soils stabilised with different amounts of cement through performing unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test and standard compaction test (SCT) form the basis of laboratory research in this project. The purpose of the use of natural fibres in this study is to achieve sustainability objectives in geotechnical engineering. The variable parameters of the study include the fibre content (0%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 1%), the cement content (0%, 4%, 8% and 12%), and the curing time (0, 7, and 28 days). In the sample containing only 1% of fibres, increasing the amount of cement from 0% to 12% improved the compressive strength by 172.38% and decreased the failure strain (FS) by 68.10%. The response surface methodology (RSM) was also conducted in the present study to identify the influence rules of cement content, curing time, fibre content, and their interactions on CS and FS. RSM is considered a confident method, since in both models, the P-Values are less than 0.0001, and the R2 index for CS and FS equals 0.9893 and 0.9776, respectively.

Digestibility of Bacillus firmus K-1 pretreated rice straw by different commercial cellulase cocktails

Removal of xylan in plant biomass is believed to increase cellulose hydrolysis by uncovering cellulose surfaces for cellulase adsorption and, in turn, catalysis reaction. Herein, we describe an eco-friendly method by culturing a xylanolytic Bacillus firmus K-1 on rice straw to remove xylan. The bacterium was grown on 2.5% (w/v) rice straw with different biomass particle sizes for two days at 37 °C. We found that the particle sizes ranged from <1 to 5 mm gave a similar xylan removal degree (about 21%). Besides, the porosity and disintegration of the rice straw fibers were observed at the molecular level. The digestibility of pretreated rice straw was tested with different commercial cellulase cocktails. We found that the pretreated rice straw was more susceptible to enzymatic hydrolysis, giving 30–70% glucan conversion than the untreated one. The degree of cellulose hydrolysis depended strongly on the kinds of enzyme and their formulations. Highlight Culturing B. firmus K-1 on rice straw yielded about 21% removal of xylan. Particle sizes (of 1–5 mm) had negligible effects on xylan removal efficiency. The degree of glucan conversion in pretreated biomass relied on enzyme formulation.

Characterization of Cellulose-Chitosan-Based Materials from Different Lignocellulosic Residues Prepared by the Ethanosolv Process and Bleaching Treatment with Hydrogen Peroxide.

Cellulose-based composites are promising biomaterials with potent applications in absorbents, cosmetics, and healthcare industries. In this study, the cellulose fractions from various agricultural residues, including bagasse (BG), rice straw (RS), corncob (CC), and palm fiber (PF), were prepared by the organosolv process using 70% v/v ethanol, followed by bleaching and forming with chitosan powder. Organosolv treatment at 180 °C of BG, RS, and PF and at 190 °C of CC for 60 min using H2SO4 as the catalyst was optimal for high cellulose recovery (87.9–98.9%) with efficient removals of the hemicellulose (59.3–86.0%) and lignin (61.1–73.7%). High cellulose purity in the solids (76.9–86.8%) was obtained after bleaching with 4% v/v H2O2 compared with that of 84.9% for commercial cellulose. The isolated celluloses were incubated with 2% w/v chitosan solution in acetic acid for the formation of the hydrogen-bonding interaction between the cellulose fiber and chitosan. The pieces of evidence of the obtained sheet materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. All cellulose–chitosan materials absorbed water fraction in the range of 54.3–94.2 g/m2. Efficient oil absorption was observed for cellulose–chitosan sheets prepared from PF (96.3 g/m2) and CC (81.1 g/m2). This work demonstrated the preparation of potent biobased absorbents with a promising application in waste treatment and healthcare industries.

Effectiveness of Rice Straw Fiber as Land Cover for Soil Erosion Control

For the first time, this experimental research analyzed the efficacy of rice straw fiber as soil cover in controlling slope erosion using a physical model. Three variations of rainfall intensity, soil slope degree, and rice straw fiber were conducted in this research. The results showed that rice straw fiber in the physical model had reduced the amount of erosion significantly. In general, a higher erosion rate was obtained with the increases of rainfall intensity and soil slope degree. The experiment was conducted with the percentage 30%, 60%, and 90% of soil cover using rice fiber straw, reducing erosion rates by 92.09%, 95.55%, and 98.21 %, respectively. Therefore, the higher the percentage of rice straw fiber used as soil cover, the smaller the ground will be affected by erosion. The ratio from the soil affected by erosion was 7.91%, 4.45%, and 1.79%, respectively. The result reveals that there is a significant decrease in erosion due to the increase of fiber used in the experiments. Meanwhile, the amount of erosion in the physical model without soil cover was 98.21% for the same rainfall severity and soil slope degree. This research showed that the application of rice straw fiber as a soil surface shield is highly effective in controlling slope erosion.

Effect of ozonolysis and thermal pre-treatment on rice straw hydrolysis for the enhancement of biomethane production

In this study, combined effect of ozonolysis (Oz) and temperature on rice straw (RS) hydrolysis was studied. At ozone dosage of 0.006 gO3/g RS, 19% disintegration in the RS fiber crystallinity was observed with 17% reduction in the total carbon content. Thermal (55 °C, 4d) treatment followed after Oz showed the generation of total volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and reducing sugars of 537.20 ± 17.09 mg/L/d and 1.18 ± 0.06 mg/L/d, respectively. Biomethane assays after pretreatment of RS showed 26% enhancement in the RS hydrolysis rate constant (k = 0.1885 d−1) with methane yield of 374 ± 6 ml CH4/g-VSsubstrate. The potential scale up feasibility was estimated by calculating net energy balance. A net positive gain of 0.5763 kWh/kg RS was obtained using this pretreatment.

Effect of flame-retardant rice straw fibers on properties of fiber cement-based composites at high temperatures

The flame-retardant modification of rice straw fibers (RSFs) was carried out to solve the technical problem of poor fire-proof performance of RSFs. The physical and mechanical properties and thermal insulation properties of rice straw fiber cement-based composites (RSFCC) at high temperatures were characterized. The results show that the three flame retardants affected the chemical structure of RSFs. The thermal stability and flame retardancy of flame-retardant RSFs were significantly higher than that of non-flame-retardant RSFs. The crystallinity of several groups of modified RSFs increased in varying degrees compared to untreated fibers. The mass-loss rate of RSFCC increased with the increase of temperatures. The strength and thermal conductivity of RSFCC decreased with the rise of temperatures. The strength and thermal conductivity of the composite flame-retardant modified fiber RSFCC at high temperatures were significantly higher than those of the non-flame retardant modified fiber or the single flame retardant modified fiber RSFCC.

Rice straw and energy reed fibers reinforced phenol formaldehyde resin polymeric biocomposites

Herein, natural fiber (energy reeds and rice straw) reinforced with phenol formaldehyde (PF) polymeric resin biocomposites are developed and reported in this study. The dimensions of energy reeds and rice straws used for this research were 0.5–1.66 mm and 0.1–3.55 mm, respectively. The hot-pressing technology was used for manufacturing the biocomposites. The proportions for mixing of rice straw/energy reed fibers in composite systems were 90/0, 54/36, 36/54, and 0/90 whereas remaining 10% were belong to PF resin. The nominal densities of the biocomposite panels were 680 kg/m3, however the actual densities were 713.655, 725, 742.79, and 764.49 kg/m3. The main objective of this study is to develop hybrid biocomposites from different proportions of energy reeds and rice straw fibers using PF resin and to find the convenient ratio and materials for biocomposites production. The obtained results demonstrate that mechanical properties and stability against the moisture increases with the increase of energy reeds loading in the composite systems. The biocomposite developed from 100% energy reeds provided the higher mechanical properties compared to 100% rice straw. The thermal and morphological properties of the produced biocomposite materials were investigated and found significant. The thermo-mechanical properties of the composite materials increase with the increase in energy reed fiber loading in composite system. Furthermore, the coefficient of variation (R2) also demonstrates a positive attributions of energy reed fibers loading in composite systems. Moreover, the overall performances of the developed biocomposite panels demonstrate them as potential and novel candidate to the composite community in the coming times.Graphical abstract

Analysis and optimization of process parameters of the degradable fiber mulch paper made from pineapple leaf and rice straw by response surface method

To improve the utilization rate of pineapple leaf and crop straw, and provide technical support for making biodegradable fiber mulch paper through organic cultivation, the process and properties of the degradable fiber mulch paper made from pineapple leaf and rice straw were studied. The degradable fiber mulch paper was prepared as a hybrid composite in which pineapple leaf fiber and rice straw fiber were used as raw materials, and environmentally friendly agents were added. A four-factor five-level quadratic orthogonal rotation central composite design of the response surface method was employed. The beating degree of pineapple leaf fiber, basis weight, addition ratio of pineapple leaf fiber, and wet strength agent content were process parameters; dry tension strength, wet tension strength, and bursting strength were objective functions. The optimal technology parameters of pineapple leaf and rice straw fiber mulch paper were 70 to 90 g/m2 basis weight of pineapple leaf fiber, 17% to 25% addition ratio of pineapple leaf fiber, 55 °SR beating degree, and 1.5% wet strength agent content. According to the tensile strength and bursting strength standards, the degradable fiber mulch paper made from pineapple leaf and rice straw was feasible. The results provide theoretical basis and technical support to use pineapple leaves and rice straw to make degradable mulch paper.

Seawater modification of lignocellulosic fibers: comparison of rice husk and rice straw fibers

Scientific investigations on the non-chemical modification of lignocellulosic fibers are important for engineers when they design green wood-plastic composites. Two types of lignocellulosic fibers, namely rice husk and rice straw fibers, were studied. The physicochemical and thermal properties of the fibers with and without seawater modification were compared. The results suggested that seawater modification improved the physicochemical and thermal properties of the fibers, and that it specifically increased the surface roughness, crystallinity, and pyrolysis temperature at 5% weight loss, and decreased the silicon, hemicellulose, and lignin content of the fibers. Compared with rice husk fibers, rice straw fibers exhibited a high growth ratio of crystallinity and pyrolysis temperature at 5% weight loss, and a high loss ratio of silicon. Seawater modification of rice husk and rice straw fibers could improve fiber–polymer compatibility.

Engineering Parameters of Rice Straw Concrete with Granulated Blast Furnace Slag

The construction industry is responsible for a large amount of both embodied carbon and emissions. Especially with concrete, there is still a lot of potential for designing recipes in a more ecological way. Approaches to reduce the environmental impact of concrete include the use of industrial and agricultural by-products. This study combines the approaches of replacing cement with granulated blast furnace slag and the use of NaOH-treated rice straw fibers. The research objective comprises the design of an ecologically optimized concrete as well as the question of whether a pretreatment of rice straw fibers with NaOH improves the performance of the designed concrete. The method includes mechanical and physical testing of the of the designed concrete as well as an optical analysis with a scanning electron microscope. The results indicated that treating rice straw with 1% NaOH indicates a better bond between fibers and the surrounding matrix. The tests in which the rice straw was treated with NaOH achieved a higher density, splitting strength, tensile strength and compressive strength. The study contributes an ecologically optimized concrete with granulated blast furnace slag and NaOH-treated rice straw concrete, which shows a great potential as an environmentally friendly, low-cost construction material.

Performance of rice straw fiber improving the drying of waste activated sludge

The high moisture content of the excess sludge in the sewage treatment plant has brought great difficulties to the subsequent treatment. In this study, rice straw fiber was collected as a conditioner for adding to the sludge. The effect of different grain diameter and dosages of straw fiber on sludge drying efficiency were investigated under different temperatures. Drying temperature is one of the most important factors affecting sludge drying rate. Compared with the original sludge, the drying efficiency of sludge adding rice straw fiber was higher. The effect of 35-80 straw fiber was 20%, and the water content decreased from about 70% to less than 10%. The effect of straw fiber particle size on sludge drying is affected by temperature, and the particle size should be taken into account at low temperature.

Effects of soybean meal supplementation on ruminal kinetics of feed particle size reduction and passage in dairy cows fed rice straw.

Six ruminal-cannulated nonlactating Holstein Friesian cows (mean body weight:660 ± 42.9 kg) were used to investigate the effect of soybean meal (SBM) supplementation on voluntary rice straw (RS) intake, feed particle size reduction, and passage kinetics in the rumen. They were allocated to two dietary treatments: RS alone or RS supplemented with SBM. Voluntary dry matter intake of RS and total tract fiber digestibility was increased by SBM supplementation (p < 0.05). Supplementation with SBM decreased rumination time per dietary dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDFom) intake (p < 0.01). Particle size distribution in the rumen and total ruminal NDFom digesta weights were not affected by SBM supplementation. However, the disappearance rates of total digesta and large and small particles from the rumen were increased by SBM supplementation (p < 0.01). Moreover, SBM supplementation increased the rate of size reduction in ruminal particles (p < 0.05). In situ disappearance of DM and NDFom of RS in the rumen was greater in SBM-supplemented cows than in nonsupplemented cows (p < 0.05). This study clearly showed that increased ruminal RS particle size reduction, passage, and fermentation due to SBM supplementation accelerated the RS particle clearance from the rumen and resulted in increased voluntary RS intake of dairy cows.

Validity of using Single Extruder in Wood Plastic Composite from Rice Straw and High Impact Polystyrene Wastes

This work mainly aims to study the validity of using the single extruder in achieving adhesion and compatibility between rice straw fibers and plastic wastes as an attempt for manufacturing wood plastic composite (WPC). A single extruder was used for mixing recycled high impact polystyrene (RHIPS) and Egyptian natural rice straw (RS) after being fibrated mechanically to produce an eco-friendly synthetic wood that can be named as rice straw plastic composite (RSPC). The components have passed through many operations such as drying, extrusion, shredding, etc.). To produce the final product, the flat press technique was used with a hydraulic press. Samples with 60 % mechanically fibrated rice straw (MFRS) ratio were produced. The density test was operated on the samples according to ASTM-D-792 to reveal the density of the composite. The water absorption was determined according to ASTM-D-570. Using the single extruder for blending the two components didn’t achieve high levels of compatibility. However, comparing the results with natural soft, hard wood and medium density fiberboard (MDF) synthetic wood. The prepared RSPC samples exhibited less water absorption and higher density than that of natural and MDF woods.

Biological fermentation pretreatment accelerated the depolymerization of straw fiber and its mechanical properties as raw material for mulch film

In order to reduce the negative ecological effects and environmental pollution caused by large-scale herbicide application in rice cultivation, a straw fiber mulch film (FMF) was developed. This study applied high-temperature enzymatic solution technology as a pretreatment process for rice straw (RS) fibers, causing beneficial physicochemical structural changes. Chemical composition, crystallinity index (CrI), degree of polymerization (DP), thermal stability, and other parameters of deconstructed RS fibers were analyzed. The change in CrI showed that appropriate pretreatment times can improve crystallinity, while excessively long pretreatment times caused crystallinity to sharply decrease from 44.65 wt% to 41.34 wt%. The CO bonds between lignin and hemicellulose were almost completely destroyed, confirming the deconstruction of linkages within RS fibers, making the material significantly softer and looser. Compared with untreated straw fibers, the mechanical pulping beating time decreased significantly, reducing energy consumption by 43.75%. The FMFs prepared with appropriate fermenting times exhibited improved mechanical properties. The tensile strength of FMF prepared using biological pretreatment fermentation (BPF) as a raw material increased from 11.26 N m g−1 to 15.68 N m g−1, exhibiting an increase of 39.25% compared to traditional fermentation (TF). This work provides a novel method, which has the potential to effectively control herbicides and support the development of sustainable agricultural systems.