{"id":1009,"date":"2026-08-01T08:27:50","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T13:27:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/?p=1009"},"modified":"2026-08-01T08:27:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T13:27:53","slug":"d-hermawan-a-sanjuan-s-doran-jf-rufner-sa-pitts-lk-aagesen-re-garcia-scaling-microstructural-processes-in-the-sintering-of-ionic-ceramics-acta-materialia-121688-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/2026\/08\/01\/d-hermawan-a-sanjuan-s-doran-jf-rufner-sa-pitts-lk-aagesen-re-garcia-scaling-microstructural-processes-in-the-sintering-of-ionic-ceramics-acta-materialia-121688-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"D Hermawan, A Sanjuan, S Doran, JF Rufner, SA Pitts, LK Aagesen, RE Garc\u00eda “Scaling microstructural processes in the sintering of ionic ceramics.” Acta Materialia, 121688, 2025."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

D Hermawan, A Sanjuan, S Doran, JF Rufner, SA Pitts, LK Aagesen, RE Garc\u00eda “Scaling microstructural processes in the sintering of ionic ceramics.<\/em>” Acta Materialia<\/strong>, 121688, 2025. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.actamat.2025.121688<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abstract<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A multi-scale framework, combining a multiphase field formulation and large deformation mechanics, was developed as a stepping stone to perform the data analytics of the microstructural level kinetics of a sintering solid. Relevant microstructural information from this framework, such as grain, stress, and porosity statistics, was scaled up to describe the macroscopic level sintering kinetics. The developed formulation was applied to describe the electric field assisted sintering of Y2<\/sub>O3<\/sub>. Microstructural inhomogeneities in a multi-granular solid result in the formation of a field of compressive stress networks, which interleave with low compression and weakly tensile regions, defining a scaffolding for sintering concentration regions to develop. A Poisson effect-induced lateral stress network is also naturally self-induced as a result of the mechanical constraints imposed by the sintering apparatus. For long sintering times, localized shear stresses enhancing mass flow along grain boundaries and internal surfaces develop. Three-sided pores are removed by either vacancy transport to the surrounding pores, or move towards the external surfaces through grain boundary diffusion. Four- and higher order-sided pores stabilize because an equal amount of vacancies are gained and lost through the connecting grain boundaries. Grain dewetting contributes to pore coalescence, suggesting that pore kinetics and grain growth are coupled and should be analyzed in concert. The combined sintering and grain growth kinetics define six regimes of sintering behavior: (1) T,\u00a0the transient regime<\/em>; (2) E\u03b3<\/mi>\\gamma<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math><\/sub>,\u00a0the surface energy dominated, early sintering regime<\/em>, where the grain growth exponent,\u00a0p<\/mi>=<\/mo>1<\/mn><\/mrow>p=1<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math>, and the stress concentration factor,\u00a0f<\/mi>\u223c<\/mo>1<\/mn>\/<\/mi>\u03c1<\/mi>^<\/mo><\/mover>4.6<\/mn><\/msup><\/mrow>f\\sim1\/\\hat{\\rho}^{4.6}<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math>; (3) ES<\/sub>,\u00a0the stress dominated, early sintering regime<\/em>, where\u00a0p<\/mi>=<\/mo>1<\/mn><\/mrow>p=1<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math> and\u00a0f<\/mi>\u223c<\/mo>1<\/mn>\/<\/mi>\u03c1<\/mi>^<\/mo><\/mover>4<\/mn><\/msup><\/mrow>f\\sim 1\/\\hat{\\rho}^4<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math>; (4) I\u03b3<\/mi>\\gamma<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math><\/sub>,\u00a0the surface energy dominated, intermediate sintering regime<\/em>, where\u00a0p<\/mi>=<\/mo>2<\/mn><\/mrow>p=2<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math> and\u00a0f<\/mi>\u223c<\/mo>1<\/mn>\/<\/mi>\u03c1<\/mi>^<\/mo><\/mover>4.6<\/mn><\/msup><\/mrow>f\\sim 1\/\\hat{\\rho}^{4.6}<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math>; (5) IS<\/sub>,\u00a0the stress dominated, intermediate sintering regime<\/em>, where\u00a0p<\/mi>=<\/mo>2<\/mn><\/mrow>p=2<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math> and\u00a0f<\/mi>\u223c<\/mo>1<\/mn>\/<\/mi>\u03c1<\/mi>^<\/mo><\/mover>4<\/mn><\/msup><\/mrow>f\\sim 1\/\\hat{\\rho}^4<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math>; and (6) L,\u00a0the late sintering regime<\/em>, where\u00a0p<\/mi>=<\/mo>3<\/mn><\/mrow>p=3<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math> and\u00a0f<\/mi>\u223c<\/mo>1<\/mn><\/mrow>f\\sim 1<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math>. At the macroscopic level, the rapid densification and suppression of grain growth observed in the electric field assisted sintering process is a consequence of the compounding effects of the underlying stress-, transport-, and interfacial-energy-induced energy minimization kinetics, as predicted by the multi-scale framework.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

D Hermawan, A Sanjuan, S Doran, JF Rufner, SA Pitts, LK Aagesen,…<\/p>\n

Continue reading “D Hermawan, A Sanjuan, S Doran, JF Rufner, SA Pitts, LK Aagesen, RE Garc\u00eda “Scaling microstructural processes in the sintering of ionic ceramics.” Acta Materialia, 121688, 2025.”<\/span>…<\/a><\/div>\n
Continue reading \"D Hermawan, A Sanjuan, S Doran, JF Rufner, SA Pitts, LK Aagesen, RE Garc\u00eda “Scaling microstructural processes in the sintering of ionic ceramics.” Acta Materialia, 121688, 2025.\"<\/span>…<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[84,87,14],"class_list":["post-1009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-papers","tag-flash-cosintering","tag-grain-growth","tag-microstructures","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peeeSR-gh","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":998,"url":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/2026\/08\/01\/s-zhou-c-shen-h-li-y-zhang-d-estrella-a-sanjuan-d-hermawan-b-tsai-j-huang-x-sheng-a-choudhury-y-chen-r-e-garcia-x-zhang-haiyan-wang-phase-boundary-assisted-flash-sinteri\/","url_meta":{"origin":1009,"position":0},"title":"S. Zhou, C. Shen, H. Li, Y. Zhang, D. Estrella, A. Sanjuan, D. Hermawan, B. Tsai, J. Huang, X. Sheng, A. Choudhury, Y. Chen, R. E. Garc\u00eda, X. Zhang, Haiyan Wang “Phase-Boundary Assisted Flash Sintering of Al2O3-TiO2 Nanocomposites.” Acta Materialia. 302:121612, 2026.","author":"redwing","date":"08\/01\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"S. Zhou, C. Shen, H. Li, Y. Zhang, D. Estrella, A. Sanjuan, D. Hermawan, B. Tsai, J. Huang, X. Sheng, A. Choudhury, Y. Chen, R. E. Garc\u00eda, X. Zhang, Haiyan Wang \"Phase-Boundary Assisted Flash Sintering of Al2O3-TiO2 Nanocomposites.\" Acta Materialia. 302:121612, 2026. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.actamat.2025.121612 Abstract Al2O3\u00a0is inherently challenging to flash sinter\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Papers"","block_context":{"text":"Papers","link":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/category\/papers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":879,"url":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/2021\/01\/21\/k-s-n-vikrant-x-l-phuah-j-lund-han-wang-c-s-hellberg-n-bernstein-w-rheinheimer-c-m-bishop-h-wang-and-r-e-garcia-modeling-of-flash-sintering-of-ionic-ceramics-mrs-bulletin-janua\/","url_meta":{"origin":1009,"position":1},"title":"K.S.N. Vikrant, X.L. Phuah, J. Lund, Han Wang, C.S. Hellberg, N. Bernstein, W. Rheinheimer, C.M. Bishop, H. Wang, and R.E. Garc\u00eda “Modeling of flash sintering of ionic ceramics.” MRS Bulletin, 46(1):67-75, 2021.","author":"redwing","date":"01\/21\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"K.S.N. Vikrant, X.L. Phuah, J. Lund, Han Wang, C.S. Hellberg, N. Bernstein, W. Rheinheimer, C.M. Bishop, H. Wang, and R.E. Garc\u00eda \"Modeling of flash sintering of ionic ceramics.\" MRS Bulletin, 46(1):67-75, 2021.\u00a0doi:10.1557\/s43577-020-00012-0 abstract A fundamental understanding of the influence of defects in ionic ceramics at the atomic, microstructural, and macroscopic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Papers"","block_context":{"text":"Papers","link":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/category\/papers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":989,"url":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/2026\/07\/31\/larry-k-aagesen-stephanie-a-pitts-brennan-k-harris-tiankai-yao-lucas-d-robinson-r-edwin-garcia-electrochemical-grand-potential-based-phase-field-simulation-of-electric-field-assisted-sintering\/","url_meta":{"origin":1009,"position":2},"title":"Larry K Aagesen, Stephanie A Pitts, Brennan K Harris, Tiankai Yao, Lucas D Robinson, R Edwin Garc\u00eda “Electrochemical grand potential-based phase-field simulation of electric field-assisted sintering.” Acta Materialia. 275: 120049, 2024.","author":"redwing","date":"07\/31\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Larry K Aagesen, Stephanie A Pitts, Brennan K Harris, Tiankai Yao, Lucas D Robinson, R Edwin Garc\u00eda \"Electrochemical grand potential-based phase-field simulation of electric field-assisted sintering.\" Acta Materialia. 275: 120049, 2024. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.actamat.2024.120049 Abstract An electrochemical grand potential functional was proposed to describe the sintering of an ionic ceramic green body.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Papers"","block_context":{"text":"Papers","link":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/category\/papers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1013,"url":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/2026\/08\/01\/ksn-vikrant-re-garcia-electrically-charged-dislocations-in-ionic-ceramics-acta-materialia-121778-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":1009,"position":3},"title":"KSN Vikrant, RE Garc\u00eda “Electrically charged dislocations in ionic ceramics.” Acta Materialia, 121778, 2025.","author":"redwing","date":"08\/01\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"KSN Vikrant, RE Garc\u00eda \"Electrically charged dislocations in ionic ceramics.\" Acta Materialia, 121778, 2025. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.actamat.2025.121778 Abstract A thermodynamically consistent phase field theory describing coupled electrical, chemical, and mechanical effects on charged dislocations in ionic ceramics is presented. The formulation results in a generalized multiphysical Peach\u2013K\u00f6hler force, establishing a critical electro-chemo-mechanical\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Papers"","block_context":{"text":"Papers","link":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/category\/papers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":775,"url":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/2018\/10\/09\/h-wang-xl-phuah-j-li-tb-holland-ksn-vikrant-l-qiang-cs-hellberg-n-bernstein-re-garcia-a-mukherjee-x-zhang-h-wang-key-microstructural-characteristics-in-flash-sintered-3ysz-critical-for-e\/","url_meta":{"origin":1009,"position":4},"title":"H Wang, XL Phuah, J Li, TB Holland, KSN Vikrant, L Qiang, CS Hellberg, N Bernstein, RE Garc\u00eda, A Mukherjee, X Zhang, H Wang. “Key microstructural characteristics in flash sintered 3YSZ critical for enhanced sintering process.” Ceramics International. 45:1251-1257, 2019.","author":"redwing","date":"10\/09\/2018","format":false,"excerpt":"H Wang, XL Phuah, J Li, TB Holland, KSN Vikrant, L Qiang, CS Hellberg, N Bernstein, RE Garc\u00eda, A Mukherjee, X Zhang, H Wang. \"Key microstructural characteristics in flash sintered 3YSZ critical for enhanced sintering process.\" Ceramics International. 45:1251-1257, 2019. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.ceramint.2018.10.007 Abstract To explore the fundamental flash sintering mechanisms in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Papers"","block_context":{"text":"Papers","link":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/category\/papers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":847,"url":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/2020\/09\/27\/ksn-vikrant-h-wang-a-jana-h-wang-re-garcia-flash-sintering-incubation-kinetics-npj-computational-materials-61-1-8-2020\/","url_meta":{"origin":1009,"position":5},"title":"KSN Vikrant, H Wang, A Jana, H Wang, RE Garc\u00eda “Flash sintering incubation kinetics” npj Computational Materials 6(1): 1-8, 2020.","author":"redwing","date":"09\/27\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"KSN Vikrant, H Wang, A Jana, H Wang, RE Garc\u00eda \"Flash sintering incubation kinetics.\" npj Computational Materials 6(1): 1-8, 2020. \u00a0https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41524-020-00359-7 Abstract The microstructural mechanisms leading to onset of the flash sintering are demonstrated experimentally and theoretically for Yttria Stabilized Zirconia, YSZ. Three regimes leading to flash event are identified:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Papers"","block_context":{"text":"Papers","link":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/category\/papers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1009"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1010,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1009\/revisions\/1010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}