Simulation of sintering ceramics based on Master Sintering Curve

Abstract

In this paper, a simple simulation strategy for sintering ceramics is proposed by referring to the experimental results of the deformation profile obtained from a thermomechanical analysis (TMA) under uniaxial compression loads. Assuming that mechanical and thermal deformations are independent, the total deformations are decomposed into mechanical and thermal components, and each deformation component is divided into reversible and irreversible deformations. The thermal and mechanical reversible deformations are represented by the commonly accepted models, namely thermal expansion and linear elasticity. For the thermal irreversible strain (sintering strain), the Master Sintering Curve (MSC), which considers microscopic thermodynamics from a macroscopic perspective, is employed. This facilitates the prediction of any densification evolution without stress and decreases the number of experiments required for parameter fittings. The viscoplasticity model is used for the mechanical irreversible strain to represent the creep deformation in sintering ceramics under stress. In this model, the temperature dependence of the viscosity parameter and density dependence of the yield stress are introduced. The sintering simulation was performed by installing a model with a User Programmable Feature (UPF) into ANSYS thermal–structural analysis. The simulations were validated by comparing the simulation deformation profiles with other sintering experiments under uniaxial compression loads that were not used for the modeling.