A Study on the Water Absorption Efficiency of Porous Silica Gel Prepared from Rice Husk Ash

Abstract

In the present study, an attempt has been made to prepare porous silica gel from rice husk ash and use it as a water absorption medium. In the process, raw rice husk was calcined at an elevated temperature and turned into ash. The ash sample was characterized and then treated with concentrated alkali medium to using dielectric heating in microwave. The product thus obtained is sodium silicate, which when treated with concentrated sulphuric acid leads to the formation of silica gel. The process parameters are optimized and the gel thus obtained was subjected to the water absorption study and results are represented.