RICE HUSK ASH
Rice Milling Industry Generates A Lot Of Rice Husk During Milling Of Paddy Which Comes From The Fields.
This rice husk is mostly used as a fuel in the boilers for processing of paddy. Rice husk is also used as a fuel for power generation. Rice husk ash (RHA) is about 25% by weight of rice husk when burnt in boilers. It is estimated that about 70 million tones of RHA is produced annually worldwide. This RHA is a great environment threat causing damage to the land and the surrounding area in which it is dumped.
During milling of paddy about 78 % of weight is received as rice , broken rice and bran .Rest 22 % of the weight of paddy is received as husk . This husk is used as fuel in the rice mills to generate steam for the parboiling process . This husk contains about 75 % organic volatile matter and the balance 25 % of the weight of this husk is converted into ash during the firing process , is known as rice husk ash (RHA). This RHA in turn contains around 85 % – 90 % amorphous silica.