Sintering

Sintering bonds particles into a coherent solid by heating them below their melting point, often with pressure. It densifies powders while preserving much of their original shape.

Diffusion: The net movement of atoms or molecules from regions of higher concentration to lower concentration. Atomic diffusion transports material across particle contacts and drives bonding during sintering.
Ceramic engineering: The design and manufacture of materials and devices made from inorganic, nonmetallic solids. Ceramic powders commonly require sintering to achieve strength and low porosity.
Melting: The transition of a solid into a liquid at a characteristic temperature or range. Unlike melting, sintering bonds particles without requiring the bulk material to become liquid.
Powder metallurgy compact: A shaped body made by compressing metal powder before thermal processing. This preform supplies the particle contacts that sintering strengthens and densifies.
Friedrich Mohs: A German mineralogist who devised the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. His early nineteenth-century work included observations on the firing and consolidation of mineral powders.
Surface energy: The excess energy associated with a material's surface compared with its bulk. Sintering reduces surface area and lowers the energy stored at particle surfaces.
Spark plasma sintering: A powder-consolidation method that applies uniaxial pressure and pulsed electric current. It is a rapid sintering route used to consolidate materials while limiting grain growth.
Vitrification: The formation of an amorphous solid from a liquid through cooling or chemical change. Vitrification relies on glass formation, whereas sintering can bond crystalline particles.
Porosity: The fraction of a material's volume occupied by pores or voids. Initial and residual porosity determine shrinkage, permeability, and final part properties.
Ancient Egyptian faience: A glazed, quartz-based material made in ancient Egypt and neighboring regions. Its manufacture involved heating granular materials into a coherent, glassy body.

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