Field Assisted Sintering Mechanisms

Abstract

AbstractField assisted sintering studies have produced a wealth of data about the densification behaviors of many powder systems. However, the sheer volume of work has not met with sufficient mechanistic descriptions of the processes in metal or ceramic systems. This fact has, and is, limiting the acceptance and widespread use of this promising technique in larger than laboratory scale manufacturing. We describe here the nature of the influences of electric fields and/or currents, changes in heating rate, and the effects of applied pressures upon ceramic and metal systems in context of the commonly accepted stages of sintering. As many of the specific mechanisms discussed have not been directly characterized within field assisted sintering studies we focus on the established theoretical underpinnings to better understand their influence and to enable definitive future experimentation on this area of research.KeywordsSpark Plasma SinterExternal Electric FieldDensification BehaviorDensification RateIntrinsic DiffusivityThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.