Sintering is a process that involves heating a "green" compact part to a high temperature below its melting point.
This process helps to consolidate the ceramic powder particles.
The driving force of sintering is the reduction of surface energy of the particles.
This reduction is caused by decreasing their vapor-solid interfaces.
During sintering, the diffusion of atoms causes the interface between powder particles to disappear.
This results in the densification of the part and improvement of its mechanical properties.
5 Key Benefits and Considerations of Sintering
1. Reduction of Porosity
One of the main effects of sintering is the reduction of porosity.
The porosity of the sintered part depends on the initial porosity of the green compact.
It also depends on the temperature and duration of the sintering process.
As the sintering temperature increases, the porosity of the sample decreases.
This is because at higher temperatures, the metal powder particles become soft and ductile.
This increases the contact areas and slightly decreases the void size.
Applying pressure during sintering can also reduce porosity and sintering time.
2. Enhanced Material Properties
The reduction of porosity through sintering enhances properties such as strength, electrical conductivity, transparency, and thermal conductivity.
However, there may be cases where maintaining porosity is desirable, such as in filters or catalysts.
It is important to note that porosity can make the sintered part less strong.
This may result in an "incomplete" end-use part if there is a missed complexity in powder pressing.
3. Preserving Porosity in Specific Cases
In specific cases, careful application of sintering can improve the strength while preserving porosity.
For nano powder products, reducing the sintering temperature is effective in preventing grain growth.
This ensures the stability of the final product quality.
The decrease in particle diameter and increase in specific surface area and contact area between particles result in a higher driving force for sintering.
This leads to a decrease in the number of large pores.
Vacuum hot pressing sintering process has been proven to be effective in restraining grain growth and obtaining nanocrystalline products.
4. Final Level of Porosity
The final level of porosity depends on the initial porosity of the green compact.
It also depends on the temperature and duration of the sintering process.
The reduction of porosity through sintering is beneficial for improving the strength, translucency, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity of the material.
5. Application-Specific Considerations
It is important to carefully consider the specific requirements of the application.
The desired balance between porosity and other properties should be taken into account.
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