When processing minerals in a furnace, materials can either be melted or sintered. When materials are melted during the production process the minerals go from a solid state, to a liquid state, then is re-solidified during the cooling process creating uniformity in the chemistry throughout the entire batch. The sinerting process heats the minerals in the furnace to two-thirds the melting point creating a spongy state. In the spongy state, materials can “stick” to each other and re-harden as a bonded pair. Sintered materials are not as uniformed, strong or pure compared to materials that are melted.
What is the specific surface?
The specific surface means the outer surface of a substance including all accessible pores in relation to the mass. It is determined using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method.