| Abstract: | The coupled electrical-thermal-mechanical finite element method in the continuum scale has been widely used to investigate the spark plasma sintering process. An accurate constitutive model of powder material is pivotal for precise continuum finite element simulation. In this study, the Drucker-Prager-Cap model, which is highly accurate in describing the densification behaviour of powder material, was adopted to numerically analyse the spark plasma sintering process of boron carbide powder. First, the parameters of the model were defined to be dependent on temperature and density for higher accuracy; they were determined by minimising the discrepancy between the simulated and experimental results. Based on a spark plasma sintering experiment with a cylindrical sample, the parameters of the Drucker-Prager-Cap model were identified at 1500 °C, 1600 °C, 1700 °C, 1800 °C, and 1900 °C. A coupled electrical-thermal-mechanical finite element simulation with the model was performed for spark plasma sintering of boron carbide powder at 1750 °C and 1850 °C. The temperature, stress, and relative density were investigated numerically. By comparing the model results with the temperature and relative density measured in the experiment, the continuum finite element method with the Drucker-Prager-Cap model was validated. |
