Silicon is used in construction, microchips and more – ‘green’ methods could help extract it from sugarcane waste

Silica is stored abundantly in soils and is absorbed in large amounts by plants. This is not harmful and, research suggests, may even be beneficial to the plants. In sugarcane, silica is stored in the plants shoots – which will eventually be among the bagasse. And it’s from this that researchers are working to extract silica for conversion into silicon.