Microstructure evolution and densification of alumina in liquid phase sintering

The microstructure evolution and densification of alumina during liquid phase sintering were quantified. Quantification included the evolution of pore-size distribution, the redistribution of liquid phase, the densification kinetics, and the fraction of closed and open pores. The results revealed that the small and large pores were filled simultaneously. This is inconsistent with Shaw's model in which liquid fills preferentially the smaller low-coordination-number pores in order to reach a low-energy configuration. The results also recommended that the pressure build-up of the trapped gases in pores due to the closure of open pores might have a significantly negative contribution to the driving force, and consequently cause the termination of the densification of alumina. To demonstrate whether the trapped gases played an important role in the microstructure evolution and the densification of alumina during liquid phase sintering, the following two experiments have been conducted.; First, alumina preforms containing artificial pores were penetrated by glass. The results indicated that the trapped gases in pores had a considerable influence on the pore filling process, and ultimately caused the termination of the densification of the alumina preforms. Second, alumina compacts containing different amount of glass were sintered in vacuum. The alumina compact containing 20 vol. % reached full density during vacuum sintering, indicating that the pressure build-up of the trapped gases in pores was the main factor causing the termination of the densification of alumina in the final stage of liquid phase sintering.; The limiting relative densities of compacts were calculated theoretically on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the variation of the capillary pressure and gas pressure in pores with pore size and pore number. The capillary pressure and gas pressure in alumina compact during liquid phase sintering were analyzed on the basis of the above theoretical models and the obtained quantitative experiment data. The calculated compressive pressure at particle contacts decreased significantly during the final stage of sintering due to the large increase of the gas pressure in the closed pores as the number of the closed pores and their size decreased. The derived time exponent of linear shrinkage from the decreasing compressive pressure at particle contacts and a modified Kingery's contact flattening model was consistent with the value obtained from the experimentally measured relative densities. These results indicated that the pressure build-up of the trapped gases in the compact was primarily responsible for the inhibited densification of the alumina compact in the final stage of liquid phase sintering.