Three-dimensional computer study of rearrangement during liquid phase sintering

The rearrangement process during liquid phase sintering is generally accepted as being driven by the capillary forces between solid grains embedded in liquid. This process assumes that if there is good wetting between liquid and solid phases, solid grains will rearrange themselves under the action of surface tension forces, producing more stable packing. This paper outlines a computer-based method for three-dimensional computer simulation of rearrangement during liquid phase sintering. The theoretical models dealing with the fundamental interaction forces that exist between grains attached by liquid bridges will be outlined and the development from these pair-wise interactions to multi-grain models will be described.