Many industries currently rely on synthetic silica-coated aluminum particles, which are expensive and whose production poses health and environmental concerns

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of Mississippi Medical Center $272,657 under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Project Grant program on February 1, 2026.

The recipient will develop and characterize rice husk ash (RHA)-derived micro-particles as a sustainable replacement for synthetic silica-coated aluminum particles used in adhesives, coatings, packaging, and similar applications. The project encompasses processing raw rice husk ash through cleaning, heating, and refinement into fine micro-particles; characterizing particle behavior, flow properties, and surface adhesion using imaging and testing tools; and evaluating performance both independently and when paired with bonding ingredients against incumbent synthetic particles. Results will be disseminated through presentations, meetings, and publications to farmers, manufacturers, and researchers.

The work is performed at Jackson, Mississippi, with a period of performance through January 31, 2028. AFRI supports competitive research, education, extension, and integrated grants across six farm bill priority areas, including plant health and production, animal health and production, food safety and nutrition, bioenergy and natural resources, agriculture systems and technology, and rural economics.

This project focuses on replacing these particles with ECO-friendly particles made from rice husk ASH (RHA). Aluminum itself is notconsidered harmful, but the way IT is produced can pose health risks. By using a natural, safer alternative, the project supports farmers, reduces waste, lowers production costs for manufacturers, and promotes cleaner, safer materials for products like adhesives, coatings, packaging, and more. At the same time, U.S. Agriculture generates large amounts of rice hulls often treated as waste. This benefits the broader community by strengthening local economies, reducing environmental impact, and creating new opportunities for agricultural-industrial partnerships. We will take the raw rice husk ASH (RHA) material and clean, heat, and process IT so IT can be turned into a fine, usable micro-particles. We will examine the particles using simple imaging and testing tools to understand how IT behaves, how IT flows, and how well IT sticks to surfaces. After that, we will test how well these particles work on their own and when paired with a single bonding ingredient. We will compare their performance to the synthetic particles currently used in industry. Throughout the project, we will share results through presentations, meetings, and publications so farmers, companies, and researchers can learn from the findings. The goal is to create a sustainable, low-cost alternative to synthetic aluminum particles by using a material that agriculture already produces in abundance. If successful, this project will help farmers turn a waste product into a valuable resource, reduce environmental impact, and give industries a safer and more affordable material option. In the long term, this work could lead to new products, new markets, and new collaborations between agriculture and manufacturing by expanding their utility of the RHA-derived particles for a range of materials science applications, with future goals that include:-evaluating the performance and lifetime of the RHA-derived silica particles as coatings of particles for air particle abrasion surface treatments and in more diversified binding promoters containing various solvents (e.g., ethanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone).-test the application of these RHA-derived silica particles using physical deposition methods, including spray, DIP, and dry powder coating techniques.-conduct long-term studies to assess environmental impact in real-world conditions.-develop pathways for scaling production and a commercialization plan to ensure a smooth transition from research to market-ready products.