Prediction of the Hiestand bonding indices of binary powder mixtures from single-component bonding indices

A priori predictions of the bonding indices of binary powder mixtures from the single-component indices were attempted. The binary mixtures were classified according to the mechanism of deformation of the single-components as plastic-plastic, brittle-brittle, and plastic-brittle. When the components of a binary mixture consolidated by the same mechanism (plastic-plastic and brittle-brittle mixtures), a straight line could be fit to a plot of bonding index versus composition. This linearity indicates that the bonding index can be reliably estimated by interpolation between the two single-component bonding indices. When the mixtures were such that one component was brittle while the other was plastic, a linear function did not fit the data. For these cases, a second-degree polynomial equation could be fit to a plot of bonding index versus composition. A combination of multiple linear regression and trial and error was used to generate a single generalized equation. For pairs of compounds wherein each compound has a different compaction mechanism, this new equation appears to allow satisfactory predictions of the bonding indices of mixtures with varying compositions using only the single-component bonding indices.