Extraction of Fe2O3 from the Industrial Waste for Photonic Applications

Abstract

The industrial waste (EOFD) was obtained from nearby industries and it was subjected to microwave irradiation (900 W, 473 K, 20 min) to recover the valuable metals in the form of metal oxides by thermal method. From powder X-ray diffraction analysis, Fe was identified as a major phase in raw sample and Fe₂O₃ was identified as a major phase in irradiated sample. SEM analysis shows that the particle size of the irradiated powder was reduced five times when compared to the raw powder. The recorded EDAX pattern shows clearly that increase in the oxygen content after irradiation, confirming the conversion of metal into metal oxides. The irradiated powder was dispersed in ethanol and the optical characteristic of the sample was measured using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The electrical study was done by two-probe method. Thus, the metal oxides derived could be helpful to reduce the burden on the environment, increase the availability of raw materials that are useful for the photonic applications.