Superfast densification of oxide/oxide ceramic composites

Superfast densification of ceramic composites in the pseudobinary system Al2O3-Y3Al5O12 was carried out by using a new technique called spark plasma sintering (SPS). Dense ceramic composites were obtained by heating appropriate powder mixtures to 1573 K in an SPS unit at a rate of 600 K/min. No holding time at 1573 K was applied. Scanning electron microscopy studies showed the compacted materials to contain submicrometer-sized grains of the same sizes as the precursor powder mixtures; i.e., no significant grain growth had occurred.