Research Projects

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) remains one of the most widely used welding techniques due to its simplicity, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness. Rutile-based fluxes dominate commercial SMAW electrodes owing to their superior arc stability and favorable metallurgical properties. Natural rutile, which contains approximately 94% TiO₂, constitutes nearly 40–48% of the flux weight in conventional electrodes. However, the global scarcity and rising cost of natural rutile have emerged as significant concerns, with only 8.93% of the known reserves remaining, as reported by the USGS (2024). In contrast, ilmenite a titanium-bearing mineral with around 60% TiO₂ accounts for over 91% of the world’s titanium mineral reserves. Despite its abundance and fivefold lower cost compared to rutile, ilmenite’s direct substitution in electrode fluxes poses several technical challenges, such as reduced arc stability, increased fume formation, excessive spatter, and adverse impacts on weld quality. These deficiencies due to the lower TiO₂ content inherent in ilmenite. The existing industrial approach of partially substituting rutile with ilmenite (2–3 wt.%) is economically motivated but fails to address the core performance issues. Moreover, enriching ilmenite through beneficiation to produce synthetic rutile is energy-intensive and economically unfeasible for flux applications. To overcome these limitations, the present proposal explores a novel and sustainable flux formulation strategy involving the use of nano-sized ilmenite to enhance reactivity and surface area. Additionally, the flux will be modified by incorporating nano-sized arc stabilizers, such as calcium titanate (CaTiO₃), sodium titanate (Na₂TiO₃), and potassium titanate (K₂TiO₃), which can augment the TiO₂ availability in the arc zone and improve arc performance. This dual-nano strategy promises to deliver performance metrics on par with or superior to rutile-based electrodes while ensuring economic and environmental sustainability.