The uses for rice husk are continually growing. Today it is increasingly used as biomass to fuel and co-fuel power plants. There are now many power plants in Asia powered 100% by ground rice husk. APAC is leading the introduction of rice husk into the EU biomass market. Other uses are in horticulture (soil aeration), animal bedding, and composites (WPC decking, materials & furniture). We supply rice husk ground (GRH) and unground (RH). Several ground particle sizes are available, the most common being 2 & 3mm and below.
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Other names
What is it?
How much is available & from where?
How is it transported?
Rice Husk Pellets
How much does it cost?
Baled rice husk for animal bedding
Please contact us directly to discuss your needs. We are happy to go into more details.
Other names
Rice husk has a number of names, the most common being husk, hull, and chaff.
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What is it?
Rice husk is the outermost layer of protection encasing a rice grain. It is a yellowish colour and has a convex shape. It is slightly larger than a grain of rice, thus lenghts up to 7mm are possible. Typical dimensions are 4mm by 6mm. It is lightweight, having a ground bulk density of 340kg/m3 to 400kg/m3.
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How much is available & from where?
Rice, maize, and wheat are the 3 most cultivated crops in the world, with rice being the most commonly eaten daily foodstuff for more than 2/3rds of the worlds population. 92% of rice is grown in Asia, the majority in Vietnam and Thailand. In 2010 approximately 5.2 million tonnes of raw husk is available from Vietnam alone.
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How is it transported?
Rice husk is low in density and an unusual shape. This poses storage and transport challenges. Hence why it is usually ground and packed in PP bags, or if in powder format in lined bags (PPL). Bulk loading is possible but un/loading via closed bucket or suction is recommended.
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Rice Husk Pellets
Rice husk has a high silica content. This means it is very abrasive and is the reason why there is no commercial volume pelletising to date. It destroys the die (the mold) very rapidly. We have yet to see a genuine operational RH pellet mill, despite adverts on the internet offering rice husk pellets. APAC is working on solutions to this with leading pelletiser manufacturers and millers. Contact us for further details.
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How much does it cost?
Rice husk is a waste product that farmers previously struggled to dispose of due to it’s large volume. (It’s volume is about 20% of total rice crop.) Today it is a traded commodity with a growing variety of uses. You may have heard that rice husk is free. It can be. At a rice farm hundreds of kilometers from a port, away from roads and rivers, and up a hill. Anywhere else farmers sell it to millers, and millers have to collect it via truck or more typically barge, transport it to mills, clean and grind it, pack it, transport it to port, and load it. The cost of this (transport & energy) forms the majority of the cost. Please contact us for this weeks price.
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Baled rice husk for animal bedding
Baled rice husk is used for animal bedding. For horse stables and duck farms in particular. Bales are also popular for horticulture, nurseries, and garden centres. Whole rice husk forms a soft and clean stall floor covering that allows urine and faeces to pass through to a lower level of (typically) sawdust. Saw dust absorbs liquid and lumps up, having a clean, dry & soft layer of rice husk prevents hock sores and keeps the animals clean.
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