PRODUCTION of SILICA POWDER from CORN COB

Abstract

Extraction of silica powder from Corn cob ash (CCA) will carry out in this study. Silica (SiO2) is one of the valuable inorganic multipurpose chemical compounds. It can exist single, crystalline and amorphous forms and in the powder forms. Manufacture of pure silica is energy intensive. A simple chemical process will describe which uses a non-conventional raw material corn cob ash for extraction of silica. Corn cob ash is one of the most silica rich raw materials containing about greater than 60% silica (after complete combustion) among the family of other agro-wastes. Corn cob is a popular boiler fuel and the ash generate usually creates disposal problems. The main objective of this is to produce silica powder from corn cob. The main raw material for the production silica will be corn cob and some chemicals/ingredients will use (NaOH, Distilled water;Silica powder will produce). Silica production through biochemical process for Corn Cob was possibly produced by soaking corn cobs in organic acids like citric acid and burning of the powder by different temperature to get desired product followed by neutralization of the solution. Silica aerogel will produce by dissolving CCA with alkali solution to form sodium silicate solution and lowering the pH to7.0 by adding hydrochloric acid to form silica aqua gel separated by centrifugation next drying by oven at 80 and 10-gram powder of silica was produced. In Advantage of using corn cob as raw material for precipitate silica are superior and cost effective compare to present technology of producing Silica from quartz. Silica use full for elastomeric products like shoe soles, silicone rubber, compounds for cables, clarify of juices .Key words: citric acid, agricultural waste, corn cob ash, Na2SiO3, silica powder