Characterization of rice husk ash as a filler in ceramics: Experiments on contact angle and flexural strength

Brazil generates a significant amount of rice husk waste, considered to have little to no economic value, which can result in negative environmental impacts. This study presents an experiment involving the mixing of rice husk ash with commercial clay, aiming to leverage the properties found in the ash to enhance the material quality. For this purpose, rice husk ash was mixed with clay in predefined quantities to create test samples. These samples were subjected to contact angle and flexural strength tests to preliminarily characterize the effect of the ash on the clay at different concentrations. The collected data demonstrated that this composite material has commercial potential with up to 10% ash content, as the results were relevant and will serve as the foundation for further research and potential development of ceramic products requiring the characteristics identified in this study.