Microscopic approach of powder compaction using finite element method

An approach for simulating microscopic densification behaviour of powder particles in compaction using a finite element method is proposed. In this method, the contacts between powder particles during the compaction are detected, and plastic deformation of the particles is calculated by the finite element method for a porous metal. The finite element mesh is generated by connecting the centres of the particles in contact. It is assumed that the finite elements are porous metals having an average relative density calculated from the volumes of the powder and pore inside the element. The elements are classified into the triangular and quadrilateral ones used in the conventional finite element methods and a linear one for the simple compression. The accuracy of the stiffness for plastic deformation of the particles is improved by applying the finite element method. The calculated plastic deformation of powder particles in plane-strain compaction is compared with that for a model experiment using aluminium rods.