| Abstract Scope |
This study highlights the importance of solid-solid interfaces, or grain boundaries, in the thermodynamics during the sintering of materials. It identifies three chemical potentials, with the most significant being the difference between the grain boundary and surface, crucial for pore elimination. Once equilibrium is achieved, a second potential related to grain size differences becomes predominant, promoting new microstructural configurations that reactivate grain boundary formation and support ongoing sintering. Additionally, a third potential, associated with edges, aids in rounding the neck region between grains. Changes in interfacial energy due to adsorption or segregation processes are key in the pore elimination process during sintering. The study also revisits models that aim to predict the stability of grain boundary formation, pore elimination, and grain growth simultaneously. |