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Sintering Mechanisms of Metals Under Electric Currents

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Spark Plasma Sintering of Materials

Abstract

This chapter concerns the microscopic mechanisms involved in densification of metallic powders submitted to high electric current pulses like in the SPS technique. Because metallic systems exhibit high electric conductivity, focus is made on evaluating the sensitivity of the densification mechanisms on the current. Thus, a first part is devoted to the influence of electric currents on elementary metallurgical phenomena (diffusion, plasticity, etc.) which are involved in densification. Then, after recalling the micromechanical models of densification, the SPS kinetics is described and analyzed in the framework of these models, with emphasis on the role of the current. Finally, theoretical and experimental investigations on electrically induced mechanisms at the scale of the powder particle contacts are presented: dielectric breakdown of oxide layers, arcs and plasma, Joule overheating, electroplasticity, and electromigration. Then, conclusions are drawn on the most probable mechanisms and on the role of the current.

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Acknowledgments

This work is partially supported by the MF2-ANR-2011-PBS09-020 project of the French “Agence Nationale de la Recherche.” The authors also gratefully acknowledge the helpful comments and suggestions of the reviewers, which have improved the presentation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEMES CNRS UPR 8011, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France

    Jean-Philippe Monchoux

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  1. Jean-Philippe Monchoux
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Correspondence to Jean-Philippe Monchoux .

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  1. Department of Innovation Engineering, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy

    Pasquale Cavaliere

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Monchoux, JP. (2019). Sintering Mechanisms of Metals Under Electric Currents. In: Cavaliere, P. (eds) Spark Plasma Sintering of Materials. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05327-7_4

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