Sintering

Sintering is the process of compacting and forming a solid mass of material by pressure or heat without melting it to the point of liquefaction.

This process involves the atoms in materials diffusing across the particle boundaries and fusing together into one piece.

The purpose of sintering is to impart strength and integrity to the material. During the sintering process the temperature must be kept below the melting point of the constituent materials.

Sintering is generally considered successful when the process reduces porosity and enhances properties such as strength, electrical conductivity, translucency and thermal conductivity.