Fabrication of a High-Density Compacted Material from a Coarse-Grained Silicon Carbide Powder by Magnetic Pulsed Pressing Combined with Spark Plasma Sintering

Abstract

The application of magnetic pulsed pressing (MPP) as preliminary treatment of a coarse-grained silicon carbide powder before spark plasma sintering (SPS) is shown to increase the compacted material density significantly. The increase in the material density is maximal after one MPP pulse. An increase in the number of pulses or the discharge voltage does not enhance this effect. It is experimentally shown that the amount of a fine fraction having formed in the powder subjected to MPP is too low for the maximum compacted material density to be reached by SPS.