The initial stage, the first few seconds of liquid phase sintering has been investigated in experiments using a tungsten heavy alloy with low tungsten content. The heavy alloy has been melted in a temperature gradient for short periods, ∼9 s in an ellipsoid mirror furnace. During the liquid phase sintering at about 1470°C, a penetration followed by a remarkably rapid separation and dispersion of the tungsten grains by the molten matrix occur. The suggested explanation for this grain separation and dispersion is based on the effect of composition gradients in the liquid matrix and a theory based on interagglomerate melt swelling due to a Kirkendall effect.
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