Study on the Characterization of Silica Sand Nanoparticles-Iron Based Composites (Fe-SiO2) Using Nitrogen Atmosphere as Sintering Environment

Metal Matrix Composite has become an attractive alternative in various applications especially in automotive and aerospace industries nowadays. Therefore, in order to study the characterization of Silica Sand Nanoparticles-Iron Based
Composites (Fe-SiO2) using Nitrogen atmosphere as sintering environment, samples were fabricated by mixing pure iron with different weight percentages (5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) of silica sand nanoparticles and undergone several testing and
observation before being evaluate. The silica sand nanoparticles-iron based composites were developed by
powder metallurgy technique and being sintered in Nitrogen atmosphere at 11000C. The characterization that being evaluated include physical properties (density of
green and sintered silica sand nanoparticles-iron based composites), microstructureanalysis (Optical Microscopy & FESEM), elemental composition (EDX Analysis) and mechanical properties (microhardness test of silica sand nanoparticles-iron based composites). The research shows densities were reduced from pure iron to 20wt% of silica sand nanoparticles. However, there were increments in each density of the composite after being sintered which at the same time improved its hardness as well. During sintering, the microstructure also exhibits changes in porosity, pore size also pore shape and with the high rate of atomic motion progressively (diffusion) leads to growth of bonds between particles, shown by the microstructure analysis being conducted.
Theoretically stated those properties will improved after sintering process were proven and the composite with highest weight percentage of silica sand nanoparticles (20wt%) offered the best characteristics compared to others.