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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Bioproducts Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #167663

Title: RICE STRAW UTILIZATION IN BUILDING MATERAILS: CHARACTERIZATION OF SURFACES AND BIOMINERAL DISTRIBUTION

Author
item Inglesby, Maria
item Gray, Gregory
item Wood, Delilah - De
item Gregorski, Kay

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/12/2004
Publication Date: 7/21/2004
Citation: Inglesby, M.K., Gray, G.M., Wood, D.F., Gregorski, K.S. 2004. Rice straw utilization in building materails: Characterization of surfaces and biomineral distribution. 227th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Anaheim, CA.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Agricultural lignocellulosic fibers such as straws can be processed to replace wood-based raw material in a variety of composite materials, to include building materials such as medium density fiberboard and particleboard. Dow BioProducts Ltd., for instance, manufactures a three layer composite board made from wheat straw and pMDI binder (polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate). Processing rice straw for similar or other traditional fiber applications has proven challenging. Parameters that influence rice straw processing include its surface properties, morphology, moisture content, and its high silica content. This study is mainly concerned with the investigation of the surface properties of rice straw. Electrokinetic analyses are performed on untreated and treated rice straw samples to determine their zeta potentials and relate the results to surface functionalities as determined by FTIR-ATR (FTIR-Attenuated Total Reflectance). Treatments include solvent extractions, non-conventional delignification, and commercial refining. Scanning electron microscopy will be used to characterize the surface morphology. Silicon dioxide contents of rice plant tissues as well as its distribution have been studied and will be discussed briefly.