Detailed Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Non-Isothermal Sintering of Amorphous Polymer Material

Simulations and experiments are performed to investigate the coupled thermal and morphological response of polymer material during non-isothermal sintering. The experimental results are utilized to validate a numerical model that describes the response of the system. Predictions of the material expansion, its subsequent contraction due to sintering, and the temperature evolution are obtained and favorably compared with experimental results. Parametric simulations are performed to acquire additional insight into the dynamics of non-isothermal sintering while a relationship is established to describe the ratio of the sintering penetration depth to the thermal penetration depth and its dependence upon the boundary and initial temperatures.