Students make black soap from rice husk

At first glance, the moon cake is covered with dark chocolate but in fact it is black soap cakes, successfully fabricated by a group of 5 students from Hanoi University of Technology.

Always cherished the idea of ​​making non-toxic products, a group of 6 students: Nguyen Thi Dieu Huyen, Le Thiem Tuan, Nguyen Xuan Tien, Nguyen Mau Thach, Le Thi Hang, and Tran Duc Hiep of the Institute of Science and Material Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology has been investigating, successfully manufacturing black soap products from rice husk and natural friendly materials.

The author created black soap from rice husk.

Before successfully manufacturing black soap from rice husk, under the guidance of the teacher - Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Tu, the group of students successfully produced high quality activated carbon from rice husk. Activated carbon is a porous structural material with a high absorption capacity and has a good detoxifying effect. Many scientists identify rice husks, if they are used to make activated carbon, will bring unexpected results.

In the process of making activated carbon, the group found a byproduct of glass water containing Na ₂ SiO ₃ , which has a fast stabilizing and curing effect for soap. Instead of wasting money, you tried to bring this byproduct to make and make soap.

During the manufacturing process, the group of students also encountered many difficulties because the production of activated carbon from rice husk is not easy. The rice husk is thin so the burning process will happen faster, difficult to control, so the efficiency of coal recovery is low. Moreover, the husks are porous and bulky, making the production capacity of coal not high.

In rice husk coal contains SiO ₂ (45%), so it must be removed to produce high quality activated carbon. Despite the long process of research, the members of the group have always been diligent with the use of fine glass and small coal to make raw materials in the production of black soap. By the beginning of 2016, the group had begun to make and produce black lumps of soap.

Black soap products made from rice husk of Hanoi University of Technology students.

The research team said the actual test showed that soap made from activated carbon helps the process will not be oily. Substances added to soaps such as green tea powder, turmeric, peppermint essential oil have both created pleasant aromas and anti-acne effects and anti-aging skin.

This black soap in addition to cleaning also has the ability to take good care of skin with natural additives such as green tea powder, turmeric powder, perilla extract . Black soap cake without preservatives, foaming and flavoring substances should be very safe.

To promote products, the authors have produced to supply products to the market, introduced through "Black Soap - Students towards the environment - HCMUT" on Facebook, with an estimated price of VND 70,000. / soap cake 70-80gr. This product also won the second prize in the 2016 student science research topic contest organized by Hanoi University of Technology.