1. Rice Husk is the largest milling by product of rice constituting one fifth of the paddy by weight.
2. Rice Husk appears particularly attractive as a raw material particularly in an integrated energy system where in the raw material is used to produce energy while the resultant residue is marketable at higher prices the raw material.
3. Trials have been conducted and are being improved upon to obtain Amorphous silics from rice husk ash. Successful process to obtain Amorphous silica has been developed by IIT Kharagpur and IIT New Delhi. IIT Delhi has developed a pilot plant to obtain energy and a vertical furnace to obtain Amorphous Silica from rice husk ash.
4. Therefore there is a need to commercialize such processes being developed so that rice husk can be utilized not only to provide energy but value added by products. This is quite relevant in India as rice husk is available in abundance.
5. The process to recover both energy and value added by-products is ‘Pyrolysis’ which as a controlled combustion process whereby fuel is raised to a temperature at which volatile matter will volatilize leaving carbon and other inert material behind, Volatile matter may be cooled and condensed to selectively recover oils and tars. Pyrolysis also results in production of amorphous ash which is an important silica source for manufacture of silica tetrachlorids, silic on carbide etc. also has important uses in the manufacture of pigments, refractories, insulation etc.
6. The objective of this report is to assess various technology options available to India for recovery of energy and value added products from rice husk through Pyrolysis. Our report inter-alia also covers the following aspects:
i) Review of current systems of energy recovery from rice husk viz. combustion, gasification and Pyrolysis.
ii) The economic aspects of the technologies alongwith their feasibility.
iii) Current Status of technology in the world for recovery of energy / Value added by products.
iv) Assessment of associated environmental aspects of these technologies.
v) Assessment of techniques and options available to India to recover value added by products/energy etc.
vi) Assessment of other alternatives from rice husk such as production of oxalic acid etc.
vii) Lastly we have identified certain R&D areas and suggested a suitable action plan taking into account fiscal measures and incentives that would be given in order to encourage new entrepreneurs in this area.
As mentioned earlier the main focus of their report is Pyrolysis of rice husk and generation of value added by products and combining the same with energy recovery during combustion and gasification process. This has been the result of the beneficial link established between the industry and various other institutes.
