Unconventional Materials Processing Using Spark Plasma Sintering

Spark plasma sintering (SPS) has gained recognition in the last 20 years for its rapid densification of hard-to-sinter conventional and advanced materials, including metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. Herein, we describe the unconventional usages of the SPS technique developed in the field. The potential of various new modifications in the SPS technique, from pressureless to the integration of a novel gas quenching system to extrusion, has led to SPS’ evolution into a completely new manufacturing tool. The SPS technique’s modifications have broadened its usability from merely a densification tool to the fabrication of complex-shaped components, advanced functional materials, functionally gradient materials, interconnected materials, and porous filter materials for real-life applications. The broader application achieved by modification of the SPS technique can provide an alternative to conventional powder metallurgy methods as a scalable manufacturing process. The future challenges and opportunities in this emerging research field have also been identified and presented.

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Formation of Metal-Intermetallic Laminate Composites by Spark Plasma Sintering of Metal Plates and Powder Work Pieces

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.698.277 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 698 ◽

pp. 277-282 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Daria V. Lazurenko ◽

Vyacheslav I. Mali ◽

Alexander Thoemmes

Keyword(s):

Spark Plasma Sintering ◽

Titanium Aluminide ◽

Elevated Temperatures ◽

Intermetallic Layer ◽

Functional Materials ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Laminate Composites ◽

Plasma Sintering ◽

Metal Plates ◽

Spark Plasma

Laminate composites with an intermetallic component are some of the most prospective constructional and functional materials. The basic formation method of such materials consists in heating a stack composed of metallic plates reacting at elevated temperatures to form intermetallic phases. The temperature of the process is usually approximately equal to a melting point of a more easily fusible component. In this study, an alternative technology of producing a titanium – titanium aluminide composite with a laminate structure is suggested. It consists in combining metallic (titanium and aluminum) powder mixtures pre-sintered at 400 оС with titanium plates, alternate stacking of these components and subsequent spark plasma sintering (SPS) of the fabricated workpieces. Applying this technology allowed for the fabrication of metal-intermetallic laminate (MIL) materials with an inhomogeneous structure of intermetallic interlayers. The phases revealed in the composite by X-Ray diffraction (XRD) were α-Ti, Al, Al3Ti and Al2Ti. Moreover, the results of the energy-dispersive analysis gave the evidence of the formation of Ti-enriched phases in powder layers after SPS. A small number of voids were observed between the structural components of the intermetallic layers. Voids were also detected at “metal-intermetallic” interfaces; however, the quality of connection between different layers in the composite was very high. The microhardness of an intermetallic layer formed in the composite was comparable to the microhardness of the Al3Ti compound. The microhardness of titanium was equal to 1600 MPa.

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Advanced materials obtained by Spark Plasma Sintering

Acta Astronautica ◽

10.1016/j.actaastro.2016.09.002 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 135 ◽

pp. 192-197 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

V.N. Chuvil’deev ◽

М.S. Boldin ◽

А.V. Nokhrin ◽

А.А. Popov

Keyword(s):

Spark Plasma Sintering ◽

Advanced Materials ◽

Plasma Sintering ◽

Spark Plasma

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On the Preparation of Advanced Materials via Pulsed Electric Current Sintering Procedures

Solid State Phenomena ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/ssp.258.436 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 258 ◽

pp. 436-439 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sebastián Díaz de la Torre ◽

Ladislav Čelko ◽

Mariano Casas Luna ◽

Edgar Benjamin Montúfar Jimenéz

Keyword(s):

Electric Current ◽

Spark Plasma Sintering ◽

Research Group ◽

Advanced Materials ◽

General Overview ◽

Plasma Sintering ◽

Pulsed Electric Current ◽

Spark Plasma ◽

3D Printed ◽

Porous Substrates

A general overview on the processing of a series of advanced engineering materials, synthesized via pulsed-electric-current-sintering related techniques, and the similarities in between those techniques are introduced in this work. This paper is focused on two major techniques; namely, the Spark Plasma Extrusion (SPE) and Current Assisted Infiltration Sintering (CAIS), which in turn are derived from the Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technique, all widely used by this research group. Not only the geometry but also the microstructure of thus prepared specimens might vary depending on the selected technique. The resulting specimens can be under the forms of discs (flat or thick coin-like), rivets (enlarged cylindrical bars)-like and/or disclosing interpenetrated periodic networks with regular or irregular (either coin or rivet/screw)-like specimens, respectively. As for the CAIS technique, either 3D printed ceramic frameworks or naturally synthesized porous substrates (such as bone-like structures), can be infiltrated with virtually any metal or alloy. Among the series of produced materials we can include, for example: biomaterials such as: Ti-and Mg-hydroxyapatite, pure hydroxyapatite HA, composites, e.g., Al5083-CNT ́s, just to name a few. The expanding possibilities of SPS, SPE and CAIS techniques are briefly indicated here.

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Challenges and Opportunities for Spark Plasma Sintering: A Key Technology for a New Generation of Materials

Sintering Applications ◽

10.5772/53706 ◽

2013 ◽

Cited By ~ 78

Author(s):

M. Suarez ◽

A. Fernandez ◽

J.L. Menendez ◽

R. Torrecillas ◽

H. U. ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spark Plasma Sintering ◽

Key Technology ◽

Plasma Sintering ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Spark Plasma ◽

New Generation

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Fabrication of C/Cu Composites by Mechanical Activation and Spark Plasma Sintering

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.499.223 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 499 ◽

pp. 223-226 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Xue Ran Liu ◽

Y. B. Liu ◽

Y. Sun ◽

G.H. Su

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Activation ◽

Spark Plasma Sintering ◽

New Technology ◽

Milled Powder ◽

Functional Materials ◽

Activation Mechanism ◽

Plasma Sintering ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Spark Plasma ◽

Double Activation

C/Cu self-lubricating composites were a kind of potentially functional materials. Nanostructured C/Cu composites were prepared by the new technology of mechanical activation-spark plasma sintering (MA-SPS). Microstructures of the as-milled powder and the as-sintered simple were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. These investigations indicated that in Cu-C immiscible system, the nanostructured supersaturated solid solution of carbon in copper was formed at atomic level after milling for 24 h. Microstructures of SPS sintered C/Cu composites still kept the nanostructure. In addition, Cu-C interface bonding was good. It was ascribed to a double activation mechanism in the MA-SPS process, which improved the sintering activity of C/Cu powders. Nanostructured C/Cu composites were obtained by SPS sintered at 600 °C for 3 min.

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