Parts produced by the solid state sintering of compacted or loose metal powders are used widely in such critical applications as nuclear reactor control rods and fuel elements, rocket nozzles, corrosion resistant porous filters, automobile parts and many others of equal importance. However, the mechanisms of mass transport responsible for sintering of metal and ceramic powders remain controversial despite over 20 years of experimental and theoretical studies (1) and (2).In an effort to elucidate the mechanisms of solid state sintering, Nyce and Liebenthal determined neck growth, shrinkage, B.E.T. surface area, and sintered strength for nominal 48 and 115 micron diameter, nitrogen-atomized, spherical copper particles containing less than 0.2% oxygen. These relationships were determined as a function of sintering time at temperatures of 850°C and 950°C. Nyce and Liebenthal found by assuming a) microscopically smooth surfaces, b) fracture occurring at necks, and c) reasonably uniform necks between spherical particles that strength, shrinkage, and neck growth could be quantitatively described in terms of B.E.T. surface area measurements.
Efficient estimation of material parameters using DMC-BO: Application to phase-field simulation of solid-state sintering
