Agriculture waste-based silica for enhancing the preservation of ruminant feed

Indonesia, the third largest global producer of rice, has yet to fully optimize the utilization of rice husk ash, which is generated as a waste byproduct. The silica content of rice husk ash ranges from 15% to 20%, indicating its potential suitability as a viable source material for silica production. The acid leaching procedure employing hydrochloric acid was utilized in this study. The present investigation resulted in the acquisition of silica with a yield of 42.55%. The morphological examinations conducted using a digital microscope yielded black silica powder particles measuring between 0.03 and 0.08 mm in size. The SEM-EDX characterization findings indicate that the predominant constituents of silica are silicon (Si) and oxygen (O), accounting for approximately 73.14% ± 1.59% and 26.86% ± 1.64% of the composition, respectively. The experimental results of the water adsorption test indicate that silica exhibited an average adsorption velocity of 0.021 g/h and an average adsorption capacity of 11.23%. Silica can effectively maintain the moisture content of animal feed at levels below 10%, thereby impeding the proliferation of mold inside the spread.