Dense nanostructured materials obtained by spark plasma sintering and field activated pressure assisted synthesis starting from mechanically activated powder mixtures

The preparation of highly dense bulk materials with a grain size in the range of a few to a few hundreds nanometers is currently the objective of numerous studies. In our research we have achieved a measure of success in this regard by using the methods of mechanically-activated, field-activated, pressure-assisted synthesis, MAFAPAS, which has been patented, and mechanically-activated spark plasma sintering, MASPS. Both methods, which consist of the combination of a mechanical activation step followed by a consolidation step under the simultaneous influence of an electric field and mechanical pressure, have led to the formation of dense nanostructured ceramics, intermetallics, and composite…