Grain boundary sliding and component shape distortion during liquid-phase sintering

Even when solid grains are connected into a solid skeleton, there is possible component shape distortion during liquid-phase sintering. The criterion established here is based on the effective stress and its relation to the strength of the bond between contacting solid grains in the liquid matrix. Distortion by grain sliding is treated for solid volume fractions over the percolation limit to explain progressive distortion observed in high solid volume fraction systems. New microstructure-based criteria are presented for situations where solid grain contiguity exceeds the percolation limit, yet grain sliding occurs in response to external stresses, such as from gravity or thermal gradients during heating. This treatment provides a method for linking macrostructure to distortion during liquid-phase sintering for many common alloys.