Abstract
Spark plasma sintering (SPS) is a rapid technique. Its processing parameters are usually low-voltage and low-pressure acting, using a uniaxial force and pulsed direct current (DC) to carry out high efficiency consolidation of the powder. This technique has been widely applied for various materials processing in the recent years. First, a description of its working principles and historical background as well some electrical and thermal effects are presented. Among the numerous proposed physical mechanisms describing the SPS process, the most common is the micro-spark/plasma. This theory is based on electrical discharge and generation of plasma spark with high temperature within a fraction of a second, which forms small local regions between the powder particles. The SPS process is characterized by high heating and cooling rates. We conclude by discussing the advantages of SPS that derive from the microstructural and mechanical properties of the sintered materials. In this chapter, the principles of SPS, its advantages and its disadvantages, are introduced.
Keywords
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Anselmi-Tamburini U, Gennari S, Garay JE, Munir ZA (2005) Fundamental investigations on the spark plasma sintering/synthesis process: II. Modeling of current and temperature distributions. Mater Sci Eng A394:139–148
Guillon O, Gonzalez-Julian J, Dargatz B, Kessel T, Schierning G, Räthel J, Herrmann M (2014) Field-assisted sintering technology/spark plasma sintering: mechanisms, materials, and technology developments. Adv Eng Mater 16:830–849
Kubota M (2007) Properties of nano-structured pure Al produced by mechanical grinding and spark plasma sintering. J Alloys Compd 434:294–297
Munir ZA, Quach DV, Ohyanagi M (2011) Electric current activation of sintering: a review of the pulsed electric current sintering process. J Am Ceram Soc 94:1–19
Olevsky EA (1998) Theory of sintering: from discrete to continuum. Mater Sci Eng R23:41–100
Olevsky EA, Froyen L (2009) Impact of thermal diffusion on densification during SPS. J Am Ceram Soc 92:S122–S132
Saheb N, Iqbal Z, Khalil A, Hakeem AS, Al Aqeeli N, Laoui T, Al-Qutub R, Kirchner R (2012) Spark plasma sintering of metals and metal matrix nanocomposites: a review. J Nanomater. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/983470
Suárez M, Fernández A, Kessel H, Hennicke J, Menéndez J, Kirchner R, Torrecillas R, Kessel T (2013) Challenges and opportunities for spark plasma sintering: a key technology for a new generation of materials, INTECH Open Access Publisher. https://doi.org/10.5772/53706
Tiwari D, Basu B, Biswas K (2009) Simulation of thermal and electric field evolution during spark plasma sintering. Ceram Int 35:699–708
Tokita M (1999) Mechanism of spark plasma sintering. In: Proceeding of NEDO International Symposium on Functionally Graded Materials, Japan, p 22
Tomino H, Watanabe H, Kondo Y (1997) Electric current path and temperature distribution for spark sintering. J Jpn Soc Powder Powder Metall 44:974–979
Wang SW, Chen LD, Hirai T (2011) Densification of Al2O3 Powder Using Spark Plasma Sintering. J Mater Res 15:982–987
Zhang Z-H, Liu Z-F, Lu J-F, Shen X-B, Wang F-C, Wang Y-D (2014) The sintering mechanism in spark plasma sintering–proof of the occurrence of spark discharge. Scr Mater 81:56–59
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Cavaliere, P., Sadeghi, B., Shabani, A. (2019). Spark Plasma Sintering: Process Fundamentals. In: Cavaliere, P. (eds) Spark Plasma Sintering of Materials. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05327-7_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05327-7_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-05326-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-05327-7
eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials ScienceChemistry and Material Science (R0)