Green synthesis of crystalline silica from sugarcane bagasse ash: Physico-chemical properties

Abstract

Sugarcane bagasse South Africa is an agricultural waste that poses many environmental and human health problems. Sugarcane bagasse dumps attract many insects that harm the health of the population and cause many diseases. Sugarcane ash is a naturally renewable source of silica. This study presents for the first time the extraction of nanosilica from sugar cane bagasse ash using L-cysteine hydrochloride monohydrate acid and Tetrapropylammonium Hydroxide. The structural, morphological, and chemical properties of the extracted silica nanoparticles was cross examined using XRD, FTIR, SEM, and TGA. SEM analysis presents agglomerates of irregular sizes. It is possible to observe the structure of nanosilica formed by the presence of agglomerates of irregular shapes, as well as the presence of some spherical particles distributed in the structure. XRD analysis has revealed 2 angles at 20, 26, 36, 39, 50, and 59 which shows that each peak on the xrd pattern is indicative of certain crystalline cubic phases of nanosilica, similar to results reported in the literature by Jagadesh et al. in 2015.

Description

Keywords

Sugarcane, Green synthesis, Silica, Agriculture, South Africa

Citation

Seroka, N. S. et al. (2022). Green synthesis of crystalline silica from sugarcane bagasse ash: Physico-chemical properties. Nanomaterials , 12(13), 2184. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12132184