EXTRACTION OF RICE HUSK-BASED SILICA AND PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE RHEOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SIO2/PEG SUSPENSION

• Main Author: Yudiani, Annisa
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/78157
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Various studies have shown that silica (SiO2)/Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) suspension as shear-thickening fluids in liquid body armor can enhance the impact resistance of ballistic fabric used in body armor. However, pure-grade SiO2 commonly used in the production of SiO2/PEG suspension is expensive and difficult to obtain in Indonesia. In this research, silica (SiO2) was extracted from agricultural waste, specifically rice husks, and an initial study on the rheological characteristics of SiO2/PEG suspensions based on rice husk silica was conducted, varying the silica concentration and PEG molecular weight. The resulting suspensions were tested for their rheological characteristics using rheometer with steady shear rate test. The research results indicated that silica with purity of 98.37% was successfully extracted from rice husks, and the most optimal method for producing rice husk silica-based SiO2/PEG suspension was a combination of magnetic stirrer and ultrasonic probe. Based on rheological studies, SiO2/PEG suspension using rice husk-based silica exhibits shear-thinning fluid behavior, thus requiring further investigation for potential application in liquid body armor. Furthermore, it is known that increasing the silica concentration and the molecular weight of PEG can enhance the suspension's viscosity. However, starting from 35 wt% silica concentration, the influence of molecular weight on suspension viscosity becomes insignificant.