| Abstract Scope |
In this talk, I will first review a series of mechanistic studies of flash sintering using ZnO as the model system [perspective: Scripta Materialia 146:260 (2018)]. In 2015, we reported that flash sintering generally starts as a thermal runaway [Acta Materialia 94:87 (2015)]. In 2017, we furthered suggest ultrahigh heating rates enable ultrafast sintering by demonstrating that similar densification rates can be achieved via (1) flash sintering and (2) rapid thermal annealing (intense infrared heating without an electric field) with similar heating rates of ~200 K/s [Acta Materialia125:465 (2017)]. Subsequently, general ultrafast sintering methods, enabled by the same underlying mechanism, were demonstrated in collaborative studies led by Professor Liangbing Hu, e.g., ultrafast high-temperature sintering [Science 368:521 (2020)] and atmospheric-pressure plasma sintering [Nature 623:964 (2023)]. Our recent work demonstrated reactive synthesis and ultrafast sintering of refractory compositionally complex alloy-carbide composites [Scripta Materialia 262:116654 (2025) ]. On-going studies will also be discussed. |