Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Mar 12;15(1):8492.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-89366-6.

Statistical optimization characterizations and Eco- friendly synthesis of silica from sugarcane bagasse

Girma Assefa Habte  1 , Tafere Aga Bullo  2 , Yasin Ahmed  1
Affiliations

Statistical optimization characterizations and Eco- friendly synthesis of silica from sugarcane bagasse

Girma Assefa Habte et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

This research explores the synthesis and optimization of Silica have been effectively produced from sugarcane bagasse (SB) using the sol-gel methods. Due to its rich silica content, sugarcane bagasse can be utilized as a viable alternative source for silica synthesis. Employing Central Composite Design, the study systematically varied combustion temperature (500-800 °C), combustion time (2-4 h), and digestion time (1-3 h) to enhance silica yield. The optimal conditions identified were a combustion temperature of 583.48 °C, a combustion time of 3.482 h, and a digestion time of 2.283 h, resulting in a silica yield of 69.6%. Comprehensive characterization of the synthesized silica was conducted through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Brunauer, Emmett, Teller model (BET) analysis and Thermo-gravimetric Analysis (TGA). XRD results indicated the amorphous nature of the silica, with a broad peak at 22.36°, akin to that of commercial silica. FTIR analysis revealed six characteristic peaks at wavenumbers corresponding to those found in commercial silica, confirming the presence of similar chemical groups. SEM imagery illustrated a disordered arrangement of silica with undefined morphology. The TGA analysis shows high thermal resistivity of silica with only 9% weigh loss at 800 °C. Overall, this study demonstrates that high-quality silica can be produced from sugarcane bagasse with minimal chemical input and energy consumption and highlighting its potential for diverse applications.

Keywords: Central Composite Design; Silica synthesis; Sol-gel; Sugarcane bagasse.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
(a) Bagasse treatment by reflux condenser (b) acid-treated bagasse.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Ash preparation.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Flow diagram of laboratory work (experimental works).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Actual vs. Predicted graph.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Single effects of (a) combustion temperature (b) combustion time (c) digestion time on silica yield.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Surface plot of combustion temperature and combustion time.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Surface plot of combustion temperature and digestion time.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Ramps points of the optimization of silica yield.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
XRD analysis of commercial and synthesis silica at various conditions.
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
FTIR spectra for commercial and produced silica.
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
SEM analyses of silica at different magnifications (a) 150X (b) 300X (c) 600X.
Fig. 12
Fig. 12
BET surface area plot from nitrogen adsorption isotherms form produced silica.
Fig. 13
Fig. 13
TGA analysis of silica.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Sattayanurak, S. et al. Silica-Reinforced Natural Rubber: Synergistic Effects by Addition of Small Amounts of Secondary Fillers to Silica-Reinforced Natural Rubber Tire Tread Compounds. (2019). (2019).
    1. Elanthikkal, S., Mohamed, H. H. & Alomair, N. A. Extraction of Biosilica from Date Palm Biomass Ash and its application in Photocatalysis. Arab. J. Chem.1, 1–50 (2022).
    1. Sachan, D., Ramesh, A. & Das, G. Green synthesis of silica nanoparticles from leaf biomass and its application to remove heavy metals from synthetic wastewater: a comparative analysis. Environ. Nanatechnol. Monit. Manag. 16, 1–9 (2021).
    1. Younes, M. M. et al. Synthesis and characterization of silica gel composite with polymer binders for adsorption cooling applications. Int. J. Refrig.98, 161–170 (2019).
    1. Jadhav, S. A. et al. Recent advancements in silica nanoparticles based technologies for removal of dyes from water. Colloid Interface Sci. Commun.30, 100181 (2019).

LinkOut - more resources