Multi-scale modeling of sintering of constrained porous bodies

Abstract

A multi-scale numerical approach for the modeling of viscous sintering based on the parallel monitoring of micro- and macro-scale evolutions is proposed. The internal structure of the porous material is described by the set of unit cells defined in the special control points of the material. In the course of sintering both the macroscopic shape change and the evolution of the unit cell geometry are calculated. The approach has no restrictions on the number of internal material parameters and could be used for the analysis of the optimum set of internal characteristics during viscous sintering. Numerical examples demonstrate a high level of macroscopically non-uniform anisotropy development during the constrained sintering of a porous bar with a rectangular cross-section.