Abstract
This paper attempts to investigate the mechanism associated with the densification of compacts made from (a) pure copper powder and (b) copper powder treated with aqueous formic acid prior to compaction. Isothermal sintering was carried out in hydrogen atmosphere in the temperature range 775°to 950°C. It has been proposed that densification in compacts made from formic acid treated powders occurs mainly by plastic flow aided by evaporation condensation mechanism. The conclusion is based on kinetic data supported by studies on linear shrinkage, variation in porosity and microstructural changes. For pure (untreated) powder compacts the mechanism associated with densification is confirmed to be volume diffusion.
