Thermal destruction of rice hull in air and nitrogen

In this study, we ashed rice hull in air and nitrogen, respectively, and systematically investigated the effects of ashing temperature and atmosphere on the structures, morphologies, and pore characteristics of rice hull ash (RHA). All RHA samples are amorphous materials with porous structures. IR spectra revealed that RHA that ashed in air (WRHA) exhibit more polar groups on the surface than that of ashed in nitrogen (BRHA). The silica and carbon contents, BET surface area, and pore volume of BRHA increase with ashing temperature. When ashed in air, however, the silica content of WRHA increases and carbon content decreases with temperature. The BET surface area and pore volume of WRHA increase with temperature firstly and decline subsequently due to the closure of pores. Compared with WRHA, BRHA shows higher surface areas, micropore volumes, carbon contents, and lower mesopore fractions and silica contents. This study provides essential information for choosing a suitable thermal treatment of rice hull for a given adsorbate.