The evolution of microstructure due to heat treatment on highly porous copper/silver systems

The sintering phenomenon is examined in highly porous materials by first cold pressing powdered copper and silver and separately heat treating them in an un-pressurized furnace. The initial microstructure prior to heat treatment as compared to that after heat treatment showed similar characteristics regardless of the material or powder geometry. However after heat treatment, there are significantly different microstructures among samples. The microstructures depend on the maximum furnace temperature, the particle geometry, material composition, and the particle surface area. While the microstructures change significantly, there is no change in porosity between pre- and post- heat treated samples.