Sintering polydispersed spherical glass particles

We used the Clusters model to study the densification kinetics and resulting porosity of a compact of polydispersed soda-;lime-;silica glass spheres. In addition to the physical data (viscosity, surface tension, particle size distribution) required by the Clusters model, for the first time in glass-;sintering studies, we took extra variables into account: the average number of necks per sphere, the effects of pre-;existing crystals on the particle surfaces, and sample size. The model predicted both the densification kinetics and the resulting pore-;size distribution of sintered compacts. A cross section of a porous sample displayed a porosity pattern that agreed with computer-;simulated cross sections, whose pore-;size distributions was calculated via the Clusters model using a Monte Carlo technique. Its capacity to predict both density and pore-;size distribution makes the Clusters model a valuable tool for designing sintered glasses with any desired microstructure.