Thermogravimetric Analysis of Rice Husk Flour for a New Raw Material of Lignocellulosic Fiber-Thermoplastic Polymer Composites

  • Kim, Hyun-Joong (Lab. of Wood-based Composites & Adhesion Science, School of Biological Resources & Materials Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University) ;
  • Eom, Young-Guen (Department of Forest Products, College of Forest Science, Kookmin University)
  • Received : 2001.07.19
  • Accepted : 2001.08.25
  • Published : 2001.09.30

Abstract

Rice husk flours were analyzed by chemical composition and thermogravimetric methods in nitrogen atmosphere to discuss its feasibility as a raw material for manufacturing agricultural lignocellulosic fiber-thermoplastic polymer composite. It was revealed in the chemical composition analysis that rice husk flour was composed of moisture, 5.0%; lignin, 21.6%; holocellulose, 60.8%; ash, 12.6%. In the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), thermal decomposition behavior of rice husk flour from room temperature to $350^{\circ}C$ was similar to that of wood flour, but rice husk flour was more thermally stable from 350 to $800^{\circ}C$ than wood flour because of higher silica content in the rice husk flour and smaller particle size of rice husk flour. The activation energy of thermal decomposition was evaluated using Flynn & Wall expression. As the thermal decomposition proceeded in rice husk flour, the activation energy of thermal decomposition appeared almost constant up to ${\alpha}=0.25$, but thereafter increased. Activation energy of thermal decomposition in wood flour, however, decreased steeply up to ${\alpha}=0.3$, but thereafter remained almost constant. From the results, rice husk flour was thought be a substitute for wood flour in manufacturing agricultural lignocellulosic fiber-thermoplastic polymer composite in the aspect of thermal decomposition.

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