Integrated liquid-phase sintering of glass-alumina functionally graded materials

Abstract

The sintering mechanism of glass-alumina functionally graded materials (G-A FGMs) at 710°C prepared by a novel rapid prototyping manufacturing (RP&M) technology was studied. An integrated kinetics equation was established for the initial 20 minutes. Linear shrinkage is due to the integrated working of both viscous flow of the glass particles and gravitation of the effective activated alumina grain boundaries towards the equilibrium state. The driving force for gravitation of the activated alumina grain boundaries originates from the coactions of passive flow of the alumina particles during viscous flow of the glass particles and the compressive stress formed during cooling. In the middle 10 minutes, the sintering process follows the solution-precipitation mechanism. Confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and the line scanning Energy Dispersive Spectrum (EDS), a layer of Si-Al eutectic of about 1.04μm on the alumina surface is formed. Then the alkali and alkali earth ions in the glass phase diffuse through this layer and precipitate on the surface. Additionally, the dissolved Al ions can easily transport through the eutectic layer and precipitate in the glass matrix due to the effect of Si in the glass matrix.

Keywords

• liquid-phase sintering
• glass
• alumina
• functionally graded materials
• activated grain boundaries