Three-Dimensional Model for Calculating Duration of Viscous-Flow Sintering

A method for estimating the duration of isothermal sintering of a powdered body and its final porosity and shrinkage is considered. The method, based on a three-dimensional model in the form of a cubic packing of spherical particles, uses sintering physics equations, the physicochemical properties of materials, and particle sizes. The model allows for describing not only the initial state (coalescence of particles) and the final state (compression of individual pores) but also the intermediate consolidation stage according to the general mass transfer mechanism. The sintering parameters for a sample of container glass powder are calculated using the viscous flow mechanism. The absolute discrepancy between the estimated results and experimental data is equal to 2.0% in porosity and 1.5% in shrinkage. 9 refs.