Microstructure evolution during sintering: discrete element method approach

We present a new numerical model describing the transformation of powder crystalline particles into dense poly-crystalline material. It is based on key phenomena sintering: shrinkage and grain coarsening driven by minimization free energy. Representing each truncated sphere, takes account complex changing shape grains for determining thermodynamic driving forces associated kinetic coefficients. validate comparing temporal evolution system four with that obtained from mesh-based method. performed simulations polydisperse packings up to 16,000 particles. Using material process parameters literature, accurately reproduces experimental data size distribution alumina.