3D statistical analysis of a copper powder sintering observed in situ by synchrotron microtomography

Sintering of a copper spherical powder was observed in situ by X-ray microtomography at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. Morphological tools have been developed to obtain three-dimensional (3D) quantitative microstructural characteristics of the particle packing. The average microstructural changes (neck size, coordination number, pore size distribution) and the macroscopic densification are in agreement with the predictions of the mean field sintering models, which assume a uniform shrinkage of the powder compact. The present 3D results confirm that the effect of the inherent heterogeneity of a random dense particle packing on the average microstructural changes during sintering is limited.