(1) Department of Mineral Resources Engineering Technical, University of Crete, Chania, 73100, Greece
Abstract:
The evolution of grain structures in materials is a complex and multiscale process that determines the material's final properties 1].
Understanding the dynamics of grain growth is a key factor for controlling this process.
We propose a phenomenological approach, based on a nonlinear, discrete mass transfer equation for the evolution of an arbitrary
initial grain size distribution.
Transition rates for mass transfer across grains
are assumed to follow the Arrhenius law, but
the activation energy depends on the degree of amorphization of
each grain.
We argue that the magnitude of the activation energy controls the
final (sintered) grain size distribution, and we verify this prediction
by numerical simulation of mass transfer in a one-dimensional
grain aggregate.