Hardening of hydrothermal hot pressed calcium silicate compacts with rice husk as fiber reinforcement

Hydrothermal hot-pressing (HHP) technique was used to solidify calcium sili cate hydrate powders at a relatively low temperature as 200 degrees C and l ow pressure (20 MPa) with short reaction time (30 min). Diatomaceous earth, alpha-quartz, fly ash and silicic acid were used as the Si sources. Waste rice husk was used for fiber re inforcement to strength the hydrothermal ho t pressed calcium silicate compacts. The tensile strength of the solidified bodies with and without rice husk was tested. The solidified bodies with r einforced by 5% rice husk exhibit high tensile strength (similar to 9 MPa), which is almost three times lager than their non-additives compacts. There is no effect of additives for the density of solidified bodies, which rema ins almost constant at similar to 2gcm(-3) similar to their non-additive co mpacts. The developed low temperature solidification method is expected to be useful in the development of an environmentally friendly processing rout e for making artificial wood.