Use of silica from rice husk ash as an antiblocking agent in low-density polyethylene film

In packaging applications, blocking is always found in low-density-polyethylene (LDPE) films. Practically, such problems can be solved by incorporation of antiblocking agents, for example, silica and talc. The objective of this, research was to explore the possibility of using silica from rice husk, ash (RHA silica) as an antiblocking agent in LDPE film. Properties of RHA silica were compared with commercial silica, Sylo-1. The appropriate. amount of silica to be used as an antiblocking agent in LDPE film was also investigated. The results indicate that RHA silica has a smaller particle size and a higher specific surface area but a higher bulk density than those of Sylo-1 silica. In the plastic film industry, 500-1000 ppm of silica is added in LDPE films as an antiblocking agent. It was also found that LDPE film with 2000-3000 ppm RHA silica showed similar properties to LDPE film filled with commercial silica in terms of its blocking behavior, mechanical strength, and film clarity. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.