Development and characterization of nano- flux welding powder from calcined coconut shell ash admixture with FeO particles

Abstract

This work presents a novel nanoparticle flux powder Iron Oxide (FeO) developed from coconut shell through the chemical reduction. The analysis and the characterization of morphology and chemical properties of the developed flux powder and control were examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy, Elemental Dispersive X-ray, Transmission Electron Microscopy, and X-ray Powder Diffraction. From the results, the powder was found to contain 45.82% Iron, 44.38% carbon, 8.86% oxygen and trace amounts of manganese, Aluminum, and silicon while the control flux powder was found to contain 57.1% Fe, 23.3% O and 7.3% C which confirmed the flux powder as Iron Oxide based type. Digitizer image confirmed that the area of the particle’s sizes was in the nanometric range with the largest particle being 240 nm2 and the smallest being 9 nm2 and areas ranging from 1.319 to 490.57 nm2 compare to control. The X-Ray diffraction contains various phases of Fe with the most prominent groups wavelength 9.26. For the developed nano-flux welding powder, at 2ϑ = 38°, the value of FWHM, i.e. ∝ was found to be 0.275°, and the Dislocation density (δ) value was found to be 9.8269 × 1014 (Lines/m2), the d spacing was computed to be 2.355 Å, the Micro Strain (ε) value was 6.497 × 10−2 while the Crystallite size was 31.9 nm at hkl (111). The results confirmed that flux powder can be produced from agro-waste with better properties and applications.

Keywords

• Nanoparticles
• Nano-flux
• Powder
• Morphology
• Characterization
• Iron oxide