Influence of Temperature on Ignition Loss and Morphology of Horsetail Ash

Horsetail plants are the sole surviving genus within the plant family Equisetaceae.Among these, the rough horsetail, scientifically known as Equisetum hyemale, contains approximately 25% silica in its dry weight.The silica present in horsetail plants is pure amorphous silica.This characteristic holds significance because amorphous silica is preferred over crystallized forms like quartz to generate a pozzolanic reaction.Extracting silica from the plant involves subjecting it to high, constant temperatures for a specific duration.These variables influence the quantity of carbon and the morphology of silica obtained.Based on the results obtained from the ignition test, Electron Diffraction (EDX), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses, it was observed that burning the plant at 700 C produced ash with low carbon content and a substantial amount of amorphous silica.The study shows that horsetail ash can potentially be used in soil modification for geotechnical engineering applications when properly processed.