Print Email Facebook Twitter Numerical Modelling of Sintering of Alumina Title Numerical Modelling of Sintering of Alumina Author Fan, B. Contributor Vuik, C. (mentor) Lahaye, D. (mentor) Faculty Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science Department Applied mathematics Programme Risk Date 2013-08-26 Abstract In this project we introduce the sintering process, which involves two basic phenomena, pore shrinkage and grain growth, occurring simultaneously. The objective of this project is to quantitatively describe the sintering process incorporating the kinetics of pore shrinkage and grain growth. First we build a model for pore shrinkage separately. An important use of the results from pore shrinkage model is to estimate the relative density of the sintering material. Here we show an example with feedstock KA-13 in Ludwigshafen. The estimated result is reasonable, but not as good as expected, which means that lots of work are needed to be done in the future, such as more accurate measurements, adjustment of the model parameters and so on. Using the same population balance equation as that used in the pore shrinkage model, we introduce the grain growth model, which only has different velocity model from that of pore shrinkage. Since during the intermediate stage of sintering, the kinetics of grain growth depends on the rate of pore shrinkage, we can further model the grain growth rate coupled with pore shrinkage through porosity or relative density, which depends on the solution of the pore shrinkage model. Here we solve the PDEs using finite element method with COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3a (which is a software based on finite element method), and compare the results with analytical solution, solution generated using finite different method in Matlab. Initial values and parameters in the model are discussed as well. In the end we give an simple example with temperature cycle in the real system. Subject sinteringaluminapore shrinkagegrain growthrelative density To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:070ac4de-64e1-4877-ae96-01169383acd2 Part of collection Student theses Document type master thesis Rights (c) 2013 Fan, B. Files PDF mscThesis_final.pdf 11.95 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:070ac4de-64e1-4877-ae96-01169383acd2/datastream/OBJ/view