| Abstract Scope |
Spark Plasma Sintering / Field Assisted Sintering Technology (SPS/FAST) is increasingly moving from laboratory-scale research into industrial production of advanced materials for energy, defense, aerospace, and nuclear applications. This presentation discusses California Nanotechnologies’ experience scaling SPS/FAST from research coupons to larger near-net-shape components using high-force, high-current equipment.
The talk will focus on practical process-structure-property considerations, including powder preparation, die design, heating rates, pressure profiles, thermal gradients, density uniformity, machining allowances, and batch-to-batch reproducibility. Case examples will include boron carbide-based ceramics, refractory metals, and other difficult-to-consolidate powder systems where conventional sintering or hot pressing may face limitations in cycle time, grain growth control, density, or geometry.
The presentation aims to bridge fundamental field-assisted densification mechanisms with real manufacturing constraints and highlight SPS/FAST as a scalable pathway for domestic production of critical materials. |