ABSTRACT
This chapter explore the processes for densifying these particulate compacts into strong, useful ceramic components. It discusses the other processes such as chemical vapor deposition that yield a solid ceramic without starting with a particulate compact. The densification of a particulate ceramic compact is technically referred to as sintering. Sintering is often thought of in stages according to the sequence in physical changes that occur as the particles bond together and the porosity disappears. Vapor-phase sintering is important in only a few material systems and is discussed only briefly. The driving force for solid-state sintering is the difference in free energy or chemical potential between the free surfaces of particles and the points of contact between adjacent particles. Liquid-phase sintering occurs most readily when the liquid thoroughly wets the solid particles at the sintering temperature. Reactive liquid sintering is also referred to as transient liquid sintering.
