ABSTRACT
Liquid-phase sintering is a common sintering process used in the production of a wide variety of ceramic materials. Compared to solid-state sintering, the presence of the liquid phase leads to enhanced densification through enhanced rearrangement of the particulate solid and enhanced matter transport through the liquid. For liquid-phase sintering, the green body is commonly formed from a mixture of two powders: a major component and an additive phase. In most systems, the liquid persists throughout the sintering process, and its volume does not change appreciably. This situation is sometimes referred to as persistent liquid-phase sintering. In addition to any porosity that the microstructure of the ceramic product produced by liquid-phase sintering consists of two phases: the crystalline grains and the grain boundary phase resulting from the liquid. Phase equilibrium diagrams play an important role in the selection of powder compositions and sintering conditions for liquid-phase sintering.
