Vv. Panichkina et al., COMPACTION AND GRAIN-GROWTH IN ALUMINA CERAMICS UNDER MICROWAVE SINTERING, Powder metallurgy and metal ceramics, 36(7-8), 1997, pp. 359-363
The laws governing the transformations of the porous and grain structu
res that occur in Al2O3-based ceramics during microwave sintering are
investigated. These processes are very similar to analogous processes
that occur during coherent compaction of powders. Under microwave sint
ering the ceramic preforms retain a wide range of porosity and microst
ructure for a long time. As a result strong capillary forces exist thr
oughout the process, causing active compaction. On the basis of the ex
perimental data we suggest that the heating rate and the bulk mode of
the heating are not the only factors that accelerate the consolidation
of the ceramics under microwave sintering.