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

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% Cwhich confirmed the flux powder as Iron Oxide based type. Digitizer image confirmed thatthe area of the particle's sizes was in the nanometric range with the largest particle being 240 nm(2) and the smallest being 9 nm(2) and areas ranging from 1.319 to 490.57 nm(2) compare to control. The X-Ray diffraction contains various phases of Fe with the most prominentgroups wavelength 9.26. For the developed nano-flux welding powder, at 2 nu = 38 degrees, the valueof FWHM, i.e. alpha was found to be 0.275., and the Dislocation density (delta) value was found to be 9.8269 x 10(14)(Lines/m(2)), the d spacing was computed to be 2.355 angstrom, the Micro Strain (epsilon) valuewas 6.497 x 10(-2) while the Crystallite size was 31.9 nm at hkl (111). The results confirmedthat flux powder can be produced from agro-waste with better properties and applications. (c) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).