Agricultural waste in the synthesis of coral ceramic pigment

This work reports the results of an evaluation of the use of rice husk ash as the source of silica in the preparation of coral ceramic pigments. ZrSiO4–Fe2O3 inclusion pigments have been synthesized by solid state reactions evaluating the effect of the mineralizer and both silica and iron oxide precursors on the reactivity of the system. The colour developed in the derived ceramic glazes has been compared with the colour developed in comparative pigments prepared from pure SiO2.

► Rice husk ash was evaluated in the synthesis of Fe2O3–ZrSiO4 inclusion pigment.
► The performance of quartz and rice husk in pigment synthesis was determined.
► The colour performance of the pigments in industrial glazes was evaluated.
► The results confirm the possibility of using rice husk ash in pigment synthesis.