On the sintering mechanism of SmCo5powders

To study the sintering kinetics of prealloyed and mixed powders to total Sm content between 33.8 and 40 wt%, continuous heating and isothermal runs were performed in a photosintering furnace between 1020 and 1160°C. Computed apparent activation energies and sintering rates indicate that no single mechanism can explain the sintering behavior. While solid state diffusion dominates in prealloyed powders, the liquid phase plays an important role in the powder mixes. A model based on a diffusion mechanism is suggested, in which a concentration- and temperature-dependent preexponential term in the diffusion equation leads to a high apparent activation energy.