A practical approach to sintering

Sintering has been recognized as a complicated process for a long time. It involves the evolution of microstructure through the action of several different transport mechanisms. In this article, the new concept of a master sintering curve (MSC) is introduced. The parameters in the sintering-rate equation are separated, with those related to the microstructure and the temperature terms on opposite sides of the equation. The two sides of the equation then are related to each other experimentally. The MSC can be used to estimate sintering activation energies and to predict sintering results under different sintering paths. Deviations from the assumptions for the MSC--e.g., surface diffusion or exaggerated grain growth--can be detected if they are present to a significant extent.