Effect of Green Density on Densification and Creep During Sintering

The effect of green density on both the densification rate and the creep rate was measured simultaneously during sintering by loading dilatometry. The experiments were performed on zinc oxide powder compacts with five different green densities covering a range of 0.39 to 0.73 of theoretical. The samples were heated at a constant rate of 4°C/min up to 1100°C in air. The densification rate at any temperature increases significantly with decreasing green density. The data for the densification rate and creep rate as a function of density show two quite distinct regimes of behavior; the rates were strongly dependent on density below 0.80, while above this value they were weakly dependent on density. The ratio of the densification rate to the creep rate was almost independent of temperature but increased almost linearly with increasing green density. The representation of the data in terms of models for sintering and creep is discussed.