1. With a decreased particle size, what sintering mechanisms become relatively more important? Why?
2. Consider two glass spheres in contact just below their melting point. Draw schematically their shape change and describe its kinetics with annealing time. No gravity effect is assumed.
3. Consider that two inert gas-containing spherical pores of the same size come into contact within a single crystal, as shown in Figure P2.3. Describe the microstructural changes and their processes during annealing of this crystal. Assume that the pore volume does not change during annealing and that the equilibrium shape of the pores is a sphere.