Sintering of silica fume in furnace atmospheres with controlled water vapour partial pressure

Sintering process of compacted silica fume samples with respect to various water vapour partial pressures (p _total=101 kPa) within the furnace atmosphere has been characterized by means of dilatometry and bulk density measurements. Dilatometric study shows the strong dependence of sintering process on the water vapour partial pressure. Water vapour intensifies the process and affects relative densities of the final product, as well.The work was supported by Grant No. 930 of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Slovak Republic.