Title: Mechanisms of Microstructure Control in Conventional Sintering
Abstract: The manner and mechanisms involved on the sintering process are essential investigation to achieve the required microstructure and final properties in solids. During the conventional sintering of a compacted powder, densification and grain growth occur simultaneously through atomic diffusion mechanisms. Many researchers have been working on reducing the grain size below 1 μm aiming to improve some properties, such as strength, toughness and wear resistance in ceramics (Greer, 1998; Inoue & Masumoto, 1993; Morris, 1998). In order to obtain ultra-fine ceramic microstructures, nanocrystalline powders can be used. Although the sinterability of nanoparticles is superior to that of fine particles due to the higher sintering stress, densification of these powders is often accompanied by grain growth (Suryanarayana, 1995).