From sintering to fracture: A short history of holes

In this paper I survey a large body of work spanning my career, noting several points of intersection with Prof. Taplin, beginning with interactions in the laboratory of Michael Ashby at Cambridge. The aim is to elucidate the progress made in understanding the role of microstructure in understanding a range of increasingly complex phenomena. Particular attention is paid to the process of sintering and pressure sintering in which models for the interactions of two powder particles are used to understand the densification of a complex powder compact. The work on fracture addresses a wide range of phenomena at both room and elevated temperature.