Loading dilatometer

A loading dilatometer has been constructed to study the sintering behavior of powder compacts subjected to low uniaxial stresses between 0 and 0.4 MPa and at temperatures up to 1250 K. A novel feature of the instrument is a device for the application of a controlled and measured stress to the sintering compact. Constant, as well as transient, stresses can be applied and the atmosphere inside the dilatometer can be controlled. Some representative results are reported.