MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF SINTERING USING THE PHASE FIELD METHOD

Abstract

Sintering processes depend on several complex thermodynamic and kinetic phenomena that have been experimentally investigate for decades. Proposals of mathematical models that simultaneously consider the kinetic effects, such as diffusion in the bulk of phases and at grain boundaries, and the thermodynamic parameters, such as the energy per unit area of the grain boundaries and of the pore surface, are scarce and require advanced numerical methods. Prediction of the movement of grains and their surfaces and boundaries during sintering is a complex task for the traditional numerical models, especially in the case of two and three-dimensional problems with numerous grains. The phase-field method is a promising alternative to tackle these problems, because the interfaces and boundaries are considered as diffuse regions and the equations to predict the movement and location of these regions are relatively simple. The present work aim is to use the phase-field technique to model the phenomena that occur to particles during heating at relatively high temperatures, establishing a set of equations that govern these phenomena.