Synthesis of Metasilicate Gel from Rice Husk and Its Application as Medium of Growth Single Crystal Calcium Tartrate Tetrahydrate (CaC4H4O6.4H2O)

Has been done a research about synthesis metasilicate gel from rice husk and its application as medium of growth single crystal. synthesis This research was carried out in several stage namely sample preparation, metasilicate gel synthesis, crystal CaTT synthesis, and metasilicate gel characterization. Rice husk ash that used content SiO2 of 98.45 %, it was potential to be a sodium silicate filtrate. Filtrate of sodium silicate was reacted with tartrat acid (C₄H₆O₆) and produce metasilicate gel with pH 5,00; 5,25; 5,50; 5,75 and 6,00. The supernatant of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) diffuse into the gel and formed the clear white crystal CaTT as much as 0,2659 g at the optimum pH 5,25. Analysis of functional groups of metasilicate gel by FTIR provides the specific absorption of –OH group at 3400.05 cm^-1 and 920.05 cm^-1, C=O group at 1622.13 cm^-1 and C-O group at 1346.31 cm^-1, and the Si-O-Si group at 1064.71 cm-1. Characterization of gel metasilicate by XRD indicated that metasilicate gel produced formed on Na2C4H4O6.2H2O, compound of SiO2 and C-Grafit. Based on the analysis of functional groups by FTIR and characterization by XRD, it was concluded that the rice husk was potentially to be a sources of metasilicate gel as medium to grow single crystal of CaTT.