Effect of Particle Size of AA6061-Sea Sand Composite Reinforcement on Mechanical and Physical Properties

Research on natural materials as AMC reinforcement has directed research to use sea sand as an AMC reinforcement. Sea sand is known for the main content silicon dioxide (SiO2) which has hard properties. However, in the manufacturing process using the stir casting method, homogeneity and distribution of particle size needs to be increased to achieve optimal results. One way to increase it is to reduce the size of the reinforcement particle. The smaller the particle size, the distribution in the matrix will be better. The mechanical properties of AA6061-sea sand composite are characterized using the Brinell hardness test according to ASTM E-10 and tensile tests according to ASTM E-8 to find out hardness and tensile strength. The physical properties of the specimen are observed by micro tests and density to determine the grain boundaries and density. Results showed that a decrease in the size of the reinforcement particle could increase hardness and tensile strength in AMC.