Understanding the underlying mechanisms of rapid and energy-efficient flash sintering is key to tailoring the materials and processes to meet a wide range of performance requirements. Four recent articles in ACerS journals characterize and quantify some of these atomic-level phenomena.
Read More
Chances of local overheating are likely when densifying ceramics through microwave or flash sintering. In a recent paper, researchers in France discuss factors that drive hot spot development and describe possible ways to manage the phenomenon.
Read More
Flash-sintering of ceramics can lead to microstructural heterogeneity, which can negatively impact the material’s performance. Researchers in Brazil demonstrated that forming method can influence the final microstructure of flash-sintered ceramics.
Read More
Both glass and ceramics can be quite brittle. Two recent studies look at increasing the ductility of each—one through the consolidation of glassy nanoparticles, and the other through flash sintering.
Read More
Researchers have demonstrated that flash sintered yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) acquires metal-like plasticity at room temperature. This discovery could prove to be useful in using YSZ as a thermal barrier coating for aircraft engine blades.
Read More
Researchers at San Diego State University have developed a flash spark plasma sintering technique that can densify all kinds of materials, regardless of their electrical conductivity, in a matter of just seconds.
Read More
Scientists at the University of California, San Diego have developed a method called water-assisted flash sintering that can densify powders to 98% of theoretical density in just 30 seconds. Their method takes place at room temperature and requires no external heating.
Read More
The European Ceramic Society is hosting Summer School 2017 in Budapest on July 7-8, 2017, in conjunction with its annual conference July 9-13. Students interested in attending can apply for travel support from ACerS before May 5.
Read More
A collaboration of researchers from Purdue University and beyond is using a $3 million grant to take an up close look at flash sintering in a massive effort to broaden applications of the technique.
Read More
Researchers at San Diego State University now report that they have developed an ultra-rapid method of flash spark plasma sintering, called flash hot pressing, that can really quickly densify even hard-to-deform materials such as silicon carbide.
Read More