Particle rearrangement during powder compaction

Densification in powder compaction occurs due to the motion of particle centers toward each other, including particle rearrangement and particle deformation. The process of particle sliding and rearrangement has a critical influence on densification in practice, especially during the first stage of compaction. Analytic models and experimental measurements show that the movements of individual particles within a powder compact cause continuous tightening of the bulk packing state up to a fractional compact density of 0.92. For a mass of powder with an initial packing density of 0.64, up to a 40 pet green density increase during the first stage of densification occurs by particle rearrangement. The present study proposes a parameter, termed the particle-packing factor, that describes the packing state due to both deformation and rearrangement.