Modal interpretation of sintering kinetics based on dilatometry

The densification or sinterability of ceramic powders is typically characterized by holding a series of samples at various times under isothermal conditions and then measuring the resulting dimensional changes, or by heating a sample at a constant heating rate and measuring the shrinkage in a thermal mechanical analyzer (TMA) or dilatometer. With a single sample, dilatometry provides a continuous profile of how the powder densifies or shrinks through the initial, intermediate and final stages of sintering and thus reveals how various factors affect the densification process. The shrinkage behaviour of a powder is governed by physical factors such as particle size, particle size distribution and packing density, and/or powder chemistry, including impurities and dopants [1].