• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.293-299
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• 2020

W₂C is synthesized through a reaction-sintering process from an ultrafine-W and WC powder mixture using spark plasma sintering (SPS). The effect of various parameters, such as W:WC molar ratio, sintering temperature, and sintering time, on the synthesis behavior of W₂C is investigated through X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the microstructure, and final sintered density. Further, the etching properties of a W₂C specimen are analyzed. A W₂C sintered specimen with a particle size of 2.0 ㎛ and a relative density over 98% could be obtained from a W-WC powder mixture with 55 mol%, after SPS at 1700℃ for 20 min under a pressure of 50 MPa. The sample etching rate is similar to that of SiC. Based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, it is confirmed that fluorocarbon-based layers such as C-F and C-F2 with lower etch rates are also formed.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.176-180
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• 2003

Pure WC powders which does not include a binder phase were consolidated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) process at 1600~185$0^{\circ}C$ for 0~30 min under 50 MPa. Microstructure alid mechanical properties of binderless WC prepared by SPS were investigated. With increasing sintering temperature, sintered density and Vickers hardness of binderless WC increased. The fracture toughness of binderless WC was 7~15 MPa $m^{1/2}$ depending on the sintered density and decreased with increasing the Vickers hardness. It is found that the binderless WC prepared by SPS at 175$0^{\circ}C$ for 10 min under 50 MPa showed nearly full densification with fine-grained structure and revealed excellent mechanical properties of high hardness (~HV 2400) and considerably high fracture toughness (~7 MPa $m^{1/2}$).

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.405-410
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• 2008

SOFC (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) Ni-YSZ anode was fabricated by the spark plasma sintering (SPS) process and its microstructure and electrical properties were investigated in this study. The spark plasma sintering process was carried out at $800{\sim}1000^{\circ}C$ for holding time of 5 min under 40 MPa. To fabricate Ni-YSZ anode, the SPS processed specimens were reduced at $800^{\circ}C$ under $H_2$ atmosphere. The reduced specimens showed relative density of $48.4{\sim}64.8%$ according to sintering temperature. And also, the electrical conductivity of reduced specimens after sintering at 900 and $1000^{\circ}C$ showed $480{\sim}600$ (S/cm) values at the measuring range of $600{\sim}900^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.49 no.9
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• pp.678-685
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• 2011

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of applied pressure and sintering temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties for spark plasma sintering (SPS) from commercial pure titanium (CP-Ti) powders. Spark plasma sintering is a relatively new sintering technique in powder metallurgy which is capable of sintering metal and ceramic powers quickly to full density at a fairly low temperature due to its unique features. SPS of -200 mesh or -400 mesh CP-Ti powders was carried out in an $Ar+H_2$ mixed gas flowing atmosphere between $650^{\circ}C$ and $750^{\circ}C$ under 10 to 80 MPa pressure. When SPS was carried out at relatively low temperatures ($650^{\circ}C$ to $750^{\circ}C$), the high (>60 MPa) pressure had a marked effect on densification and grain growth suppression. The full density of titanium was achieved at temperatures and pressures above $700^{\circ}C$ and 60 MPa by spark plasma sintering. The crystalline phase and microstructure of titanium sintered up to $700^{\circ}C$ consisted of ${\alpha}$-Ti and equiaxed grains. Vickers hardness ranging from 293 to 362 Hv and strength ranging from 304 to 410 MPa were achieved for spark plasma sintered titanium.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.469-475
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• 2012

A high-energy mechanical milling (HEMM) process was introduced to improve sinter-ability, and rapid sintering of spark plasma sintering (SPS) under pressure was used to make ultra fine grain (UFG) of Ti-Nb-Mo-CPP composites, which have bio-attractive elements, for increasing mechanical properties. Ti-Nb-Mo-CPP composites were successfully fabricated by SPS at $1000^{\circ}C$ within 5 minutes under 70 MPa using HEMMed powders. The Vickers hardness of the composites increased with increased milling time and addition of CPP contents. Biocompatibility and corrosion resistance of the Ti-Nb-Mo alloys were improved by addition of CPP, and the Ti-35%Nb-10%Mo-10%CPP alloy had better biocompatibility and corrosion resistance than the Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy.

• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.383-387
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• 2018

Highly transparent $Y_2O_3$ ceramics were produced using spark plasma sintering (SPS) at $1600^{\circ}C$ and 30 MPa for 5 min. When the SPS process was applied with various amounts of $La_2O_3$ as dopant. The specimen doped with 3 mol% $La_2O_3$ showed the highest density, and rapid particle growth and pore growth occurred, exhibiting that the relative density and average grain size are 99.2% and $17.2{\mu}m$, respectively. The specimen showed excellent transmittance of 79.44% in the visible light region (600 nm), resulting that $La_2O_3$ would be a useful dopant for improving the transmittance and mechanical properties of transparent $Y_2O_3$ ceramics produced with SPS.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.12 no.5 s.52
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• pp.351-356
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• 2005

Nanoscale Al powder with thin layer of alumina was produced by Wire Electric Explosion (WEE) process. Spark-Plasma Sintering (SPS) was performed for the produced powder to confirm the effectiveness of SPS like so-called 'surface-cleaning effect' and so on. Crystallite size and alumina content of produced powder varied with the ratio of input energy to sublimation energy of Al wire ($e/e_s$): Increase in ($e/e_s$) resulted in the decrease of crystallite size and the increase of alumina content. Shrinkage curve during SPS process showed that the oxide surface layer could not be destroyed near the melting point of Al. It implied that there was not enough or no spark-plasma effect during SPS for Al/Alumina powder.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.70-78
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• 2005

Mechanical alloying using high-energy ball mill and subsequent spark plasma sintering (SPS) process was applied to understand mechanical alloying processing of Al-Fe alloy system. The thermal stability of mechanically alloyed Al-Fe alloy was intended to be enhanced by SPS process. Various analytical techniques including particle size analysis, density measurement, micro-Vickers hardness test, SEM, TEM, and X-ray diffractometry were adopted to find optimum processing conditions for mechanical alloying and subsequent SPS and to estimate thermal stability of the prepared alloy. It was found from the treatment of mechanically alloyed Al-8wt.%Fe powder mixture that needle-shaped $Al_3Fe$ precipitates was formed in the Al-Fe matrix, and the alloy compact showed enhanced densification and reached its full density with little loss of its fine microstructure. After heat treatment at $500^{\circC}$, it was also shown that the thermal stability of Al-8wt.%Fe alloy fabricated in the present study was enhanced, which was due to its fine microstructure developed by fast densification of SPS.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.12 no.5 s.52
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• pp.345-350
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• 2005

In this study the nanostructured ${\alpha}-Al_{2}O_3$ ceramics have been fabricated by the combined application of magnetic pulsed compaction (MPC) and subsequent spark plasma sintering (SPS), and their density and hardness properties were investigated. The ${\alpha}-Al_{2}O_3$ prepared by the combined processes showed an increase by $8.4\%$ in density, approaching the value close to the true density, and an enhancement by $210\~400\;Hv$ in hardness, compared to those fabricated by MPC or static compaction method followed by sintering treatment.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.101-105
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• 2023

A mixture of elemental Co₅₀Si₅₀ powders was subjected to mechanical alloying (MA) at room temperature to prepare a CoSi thermoelectric compound. Consolidation of the Co₅₀Si₅₀ mechanically alloyed powders was performed in a spark plasma sintering (SPS) machine using graphite dies up to 800 ℃ and 1,000 ℃ under 50 MPa. We have revealed that a nanocrystalline CoSi thermoelectric compound can be produced from a mixture of elemental Co₅₀Si₅₀ powders by mechanical alloying after 20 hours. The average grain size estimated from a Hall plot of the CoSi intermetallic compound prepared after 40 hours of MA was 65 nm. The degree of shrinkage of the consolidated samples during SPS became significant at about 450 ℃. All of the compact bodies had a high relative density of more than 94 % with a metallic glare on the surface. X-ray diffraction data showed that the SPS compact produced by sintering mechanically alloyed powders for 40-hours up to 800 ℃ consisted of only nanocrystalline CoSi with a grain size of 110 nm.