Modeling and simulation of sintering process across scales

TL;DR

This paper reviews multi-scale modeling and simulation techniques for the sintering process, covering atomistic to macroscopic approaches, and discusses recent advances in additive manufacturing applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of existing models and methods for simulating sintering across different scales, highlighting recent progress in laser sintering.

Findings

Microstructure-level models reveal mechanisms like grain coalescence and densification.

Phenomenological models estimate densification and porosity.

Latest progress in additive manufacturing modeling is summarized.

Abstract

Sintering, as a thermal process at elevated temperature below the melting point, is widely used to bond contacting particles into engineering products such as ceramics, metals, polymers, and cemented carbides. Modelling and simulation as important complement to experiments are essential for understanding the sintering mechanisms and for the optimization and design of sintering process. We share in this article a state-to-the-art review on the major methods and models for the simulation of sintering process at various length scales. It starts with molecular dynamics simulations deciphering atomistic diffusion process, and then moves to microstructure-level approaches such as discrete element method, Monte--Carlo method, and phase-field models, which can reveal subtle mechanisms like grain coalescence, grain rotation, densification, grain coarsening, etc. Phenomenological/empirical models on the macroscopic scales for estimating densification, porosity and average grain size are also summarized. The features, merits, drawbacks, and applicability of these models and simulation technologies are expounded. In particular, the latest progress on the modelling and simulation of selective and direct-metal laser sintering based additive manufacturing is also reviewed. Finally, a summary and concluding remarks on the challenges and opportunities are given for the modelling and simulations of sintering process.