Valorization of Rice Husk and Straw Agriculture Wastes of Eastern Saudi Arabia: Production of Bio-Based Silica, Lignocellulose, and Activated Carbon
Hisham S. M. Abd‐Rabboh, Khaled Fahmi Fawy, Mohamed S. Hamdy, Serag Eldin I. Elbehairi, Ali A. Shati, Mohammad Y. Alfaifi, Hala A. Ibrahium, Saad Alamri, Nasser S. Awwad
Abstract
Bio-based silica, lignocellulose, and activated carbon were simply produced via the recycling of Hassawi rice biomass waste of Al-Ahsa governorate in the eastern Saudi Arabia region using a fast chemical treatment procedure. Rice husk and rice straw wastes were collected, ground, and chemically treated with sodium hydroxide to extract silica/silicate from the dried plant tissues. The liquid extract is then treated with acid solutions in order to precipitate silica/silicate at neutral medium. Lowering the pH of the supernatant to 2 resulted in the precipitation of lignocellulose. Thermal treatment of the biomass residue under N2 gas stream resulted in activated carbon production. Separated products were dried/treated and characterized using several physical examination techniques, such as FT-IR, SEM/EDX, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy in order to study their structure and morphology. Silica and lignocelluloses products were then preliminarily used in the treatment of wastewaters and water-desalination processes.