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In Situ Observation of Glass Particle Sintering

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Rosiana Aguiar

Departamento de Ciência e Engenharia de Materiais, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, CEP 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

Mario Godinho Jr., Elson Longo and Edson R. Leite

LIEC-CMDMC, Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, CEP 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

J. Chem. Educ., 2006, 83 (3), p 410

DOI: 10.1021/ed083p410

Publication Date (Web): March 1, 2006

Abstract

This article introduces the sintering process to chemistry students unfamiliar with the subject. The concepts are discussed and a movie is included showing the viscous flow sintering process of glass particles. Frenkel's model, which describes the viscous flow process, was applied to demonstrate its validity. Spherical soda-lime glass particles were heat treated at 750 °C in an optical microscope equipped with a hot stage. The glass sintering process was recorded using a digital camera coupled to the microscope. During sintering, the particle boundaries moved apart until the interface separating them was flat, subsequently joining to become a single particle as a result of the decrease in superficial free energy. Frenkel's model was verified for the vitrification process and for ceramic shrinkage during sintering. Two graphs indicate experimental measurements similar to those in Frenkel's model.