Recent Research on Spark Sintering Process.

Abstract

Recently, there have been appearing many reports on the development of new materials using a method called plasma activated sintering (PAS) or spark plasma sintering (SPS). Lenel tried a short-time sintering of Ti, Mo and Zr by pressurized low voltage, great current energization in 1955. In 1960s, Inoue announced a spark sintering machine intended for spark discharge between grains and production of plasma. Thereafter, sintering of beryllium and titanium alloy by this process was tried in the U.S. This process was developed to a method which is currently called the PAS or SPS method. After describing the history of the development of the spark sintering process and the mechanism of spark sintering, this report introduces specific examples of materials developed by the spark sintering process such as intermetallic compounds, functionally gradient materials, ceramics and composite materials, functional materials and amorphous alloy. 49 refs., 15 figs., 1 tab.