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Effects of Solvent Exchange Period and Heat Treatment on Physical and Chemical Properties of Rice Husk Derived Silica Aerogels

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Abstract

In this study, hydrophobic silica aerogels were synthesized from rice husk ash-derived sodium silicate through sol-gel processing, solvent exchange, surface modification and ambient pressure drying. By volume, 10% of trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) in 90% of n-hexane was used as a hydrophobic solution in the surface modification process. The physical and chemical properties of silica aerogels were characterized by density and porosity measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller theory (BET) and dynamic scanning calorimetry (DSC). The hydrogels prepared were in the form of 2.5 ± 0.5 mm beads and then converted into alcogels through solvent exchange with ethanol for repetition of 3, 6 and 9 days. It is found that the optimal quality of silica aerogels with the BET surface area as high as 668.82 m2/g was obtained from the alcogels of the solvent exchange period of 9 days. Depending on the size of the gel’s block, a longer solvent exchange period will ensure adequate removal of pore water. Post heat treatment on silica aerogels obtained from the 9 days of solvent exchange at 200, 300 and 400 °C for 2 h results in slight decreased of aerogel’s density from 0.048 g/cm3 to 0.039 g/cm3 and the hydrophobicity of the aerogels is decreased above 380 °C as confirmed by DSC analysis.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Research Management Centre (RMC) Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) and the Ministry of Education of Malaysia for funding this project through research grants, 03-01-06-SF1456, FRGS 5F023 and HIR 04G38.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Johor, Malaysia

    Zulhelmi Alif Abdul Halim & Muhamad Azizi Mat Yajid

  2. Zeolite and Nanostructured Materials Laboratory, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Johor, Malaysia

    Halimaton Hamdan

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  1. Zulhelmi Alif Abdul Halim
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  2. Muhamad Azizi Mat Yajid
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  3. Halimaton Hamdan
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Correspondence to Zulhelmi Alif Abdul Halim.

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Halim, Z.A.A., Yajid, M.A.M. & Hamdan, H. Effects of Solvent Exchange Period and Heat Treatment on Physical and Chemical Properties of Rice Husk Derived Silica Aerogels. Silicon 13, 251–257 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-020-00421-5

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