Abstract

A sinter hot isostatic pressing (HIP) model is introduced for the material Al2O3 in which the final densification simultaneously includes defining the density development, grain growth and defect size reduction. The dependencies of these processes which influence each other are simulated in a computer program and the model calculations are compared with the experimental results. For the selected combinations of processing and microstructural parameters, the individually dominating mechanisms and the achievable microstructural conditions can be thus identified. The results make conclusions possible about the size of the defects, which can be effectively reduced by the given processing and by optimised sintering kinetics. With a new type of diagram (GDDT diagram), it is possible to simply represent the complex interactions between the processing parameters and the microstructure development. This allows the determination of optimal processing at given appropriate conditions, which thus allow the sintering and HIP processes to be optimally planned.