Approaching the structure-property relationship of sintered metal nano/microparticles from the perspective of the agglomerate size effect

In this study, we explore the structure-property relationship of sintered metal nano/microparticles from the per-spective of the agglomerate size effect. Through sintering experiments and mechanical tests of Cu particle pastes with different solvents, a linear correlation between the agglomerate size in the particle paste (L-a) and the size of large-scale cavities in the sintered structure (L-c) is revealed, and a negative correlation between the cavity size and the shear strength of the sintered structure is discovered. Based on these results, a quantitative model is proposed to predict the overall strength of the sintered structure (tau f). A relationship tau f = tau c/(1 + root(2L(cmax)/d)) is established, which fits the experimental results very well. The model reveals that the relative agglomerate size (L-a/d) or relative cavity size (L-c/d) plays a more important role than the particle size (d) itself in terms of defining the final sintering properties of metal nano/microparticles.(c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study explores the structure-property relationship of sintered metal nano/microparticles from the perspective of the agglomerate size effect. A linear correlation between the agglomerate size in the particle paste and the size of large-scale cavities in the sintered structure is revealed, along with a negative correlation between the cavity size and the shear strength of the sintered structure. A quantitative model is proposed to predict the overall strength of the sintered structure, which fits the experimental results well. The model emphasizes the importance of relative agglomerate size or relative cavity size in defining the final sintering properties.