1. Field Assisted Sintering of Advanced Ceramic Materials
Nikhil Mohip
Seth Mongbeh
Alejandro Vera
Advisor: Professor Zhe Cheng

2. Presentation Outline Problem Statement Literature Survey
Project Description
Motivation and Goals
Literature Survey
Sintering
Sintering Driving Force
Sintering Types
Field Assisted Sintering

3. Presentation Outline Flash Sintering Mechanism Related Standards
Joule Heating
Related Standards
International Organization of Standardization
Challenges
Global Design Components
Initial Die Design
Die Design Alternatives

4. Presentation Outline Proposed System Design 2015 Time Line
Poster Board

5. Problem Statement Project Description:
Design and build a Flash sintering machine.
Successfully Flash sinter a sample or samples of ceramic material.
Record sample’s temperature in real time.
Test the sample’s mechanical properties.

6. Problem Statement Motivation and Goals:
Control or eliminate undesirable reactions to high temperatures.
Reduce harmful and unwanted waste.
Investigate the Flash sintering mechanism.

7. Literature Survey Sintering:
Inter - particle pores in a granular material are eliminated by atomic diffusion.
Sintering Driving Force:
The curvature of the particle surface
An externally applied pressure
Chemical reaction

8. Literature Survey Sintering Types: Pressure Assisted Sintering.
Hot Pressing.
Microwave Sintering.
Field Assisted Sintering

9. Literature Survey Field Assisted Sintering:
Use of a DC electric current in the sintering process cause retardation in growth grain.
Ceramics could be sintered in less than 5 seconds .
Relating common used materials are: Mg-O Alumina, SiC, and ZrB2.

10. Literature Survey Joule Heating:
Increment in the sample temperature from the scattering of electrical energy.
Assumes the sample transmits radiation like a dark body.

11. Flash Sintering Mechanism
Joule Heating:
Volumetric thermal expansion caused by increase in temperature.

12. Related Standards International Organization for Standardization:
ISO has published more than International Standards covering almost every industry.

13. Related Standards

14. Challenges
Assemble a Field Assisted Sintering apparatus centered around the FIU Nano – Fabrication Lab furnaces.
Densify material up to 90% then aim to increase densification.
Record temperature increase in real time.

15. Global Design Components
Conversion of currency
Translation of the experimental design procedures
Contacting of individuals who have performed flash sintering experiments

16. Initial Die Design Conventional die used to press ceramic powder
On the outsides is the die assembly
In the middle is the press used to apply pressure

17. Die Design Alternatives
Dog-bone shaped sample found to have even current distribution
Rectangular die less complex to manufacture

18. Proposed System Design
On far left – top view of flash sintering system
Middle – front view of die and sample being pressed
On right – close-up of sample while in furnace

19. 2015 Time Line

20. FIELD-ASSISTED SINTERING OF ADVANCED CERAMIC MATERIALS
Challenges
Global Learning
Converting currencies .
Translate the experimental design.
Warning labels in different languages.
Contacting previous flash sintering designers from other countries.
Problem Statement
An economical and efficient way to investigate the flash sintered material’s mechanical properties, and to compare these properties to those of conventional sintering processes.
Assemble a flash sintering machine centered around the FIU Nano – Fabrication Lab furnaces.
Densify material up to 90% then aim to increase densification.
Proposed Design
Motivation
Study the mechanism of flash sintering.
Understand how flash sintering influences the ceramic material and its properties.
Further material research conducted by the Florida International University’s Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department.
Objectives
Become pioneers in the subject of flash sintering for the Florida International University’s Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering.
Successfully flash-sinter a sample or samples of ceramic material.
Propose optimization of this process as part of the manufacturing of ceramic objects.
Time Line
Nikhil Mohip
Seth Mongbeh
Alejandro Vera
Advisor: Professor Zhe Cheng