Abstract
Determined by the strength, flowability, and microstructure of the granules, the optimization of additive contents and presintering conditions for Si-additive mixture granules was assessed. Excessive additive contents led to a low granular strength and poor flowability due to the formation of large agglomerates and voids. The optimum presintering temperature for a 3 wt % Y2O3–Al2O3–CaO system was found between 1300 and 1375°C. Temperatures below and above the optimum temperature range resulted in low strength and poor flowability, respectively. The packing configuration by porous granules was modeled to calculate the intergranular porosity and intragranular porosity out of the total porosity.
