Using spark plasma sintering process (SPS), Ti-6Al-4V alloy powders were successfully consolidated without any contamination happened due to reaction between the alloy powders and graphite mold. Variation of microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated as a function of SPS temperature and time. Compared with hot isostatic pressing (HIP), the sintering time and temperature could be lowered to be 10 min. and , respectively. At the SPS condition, UTS and elongation were about 890 MPa and 24%, respectively. Considering the density of 98.5% and elongation of 24%, further improving the tensile strength would obtain by increasing the SPS pressure.

Ni based() bulk metallic glass(BMG) powders were produced by a gas atomization process, and ductile Cu powders were mixed using a spray drying process. The Ni-based amorphous powder and Cu mixed Ni composite powders were compacted by a spark plasma sintering (SPS) processes into cylindrical shape. The relative density varied with the used SPS mold materials such as graphite, hardened steel and WC-Co hard metal. The relative density increased from 87% to 98% when the sintering temperature increased up to in the WC-Co hard metal mold.

Dispersion-strengthened copper with was produced by ball-milling and spark plasma sintering (SPS).Ball-milling was performed at a rotation speed of 300rpm for 30 and 60min in Ar atmosphere by using a planetary ball mill (AGO-2). Spark-plasma sintering was carried out at for 5min under vacuum after mechanical alloying. The hardness of the specimens sintered using powder ball milled for 60min at 300rpm increased from 16.0 to 61.8 HRB than that of specimen using powder mixed with a turbular mixer, while the electrical conductivity varied from 93.40% to 83.34%IACS. In the case of milled powder, hardness increased as milling time increased, while the electrical conductivity decreased. On the other hand, hardness decreased with increasing sintering temperature, but the electrical conductiviey increased slightly

Cu- nanocomposite powders were synthesized by combining high-energy ball-milling of Cu-Ti-B mixtures and subsequent self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS). Cu-40wt.% powders were produced by SHS reaction and ball-milled. The milled SHS powder was mixed with Cu powders by ball milling to produce Cu-2.5wt.% composites. particles less than 250nm were formed in the copper matrix after SHS-reaction. The releative density, electrical conductivity and hardness of specimens sintered at were nearly 98%, 83%IACS and 71HRB, respectively. After heat treatment at 850 to for 2 hours under Ar atmosphere, hardness was descedned by 15%. Our Cu- composite showed good thermal stability at eleveated temperature.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced hydroxyapatite (HAp) composites were fabricated by using the spark plasma sintering process with surfactant modified CNT and HAp nano powder. Without the dependency on sintering temperature, the main crystal phase existed with the HAp phase although a few contents of (Tri calcium phosphate) phase were detected. The maximum fracture toughness, was obtained in the sample sintered at and on the fracture surface a typical intergranular fracture mode, as well as the pull-out pmhenomenon of CNT, was observed.

WC-10Co-0.8VC nanocrystalline powders were sintered by spark plasma sintering (SPS) and hot press sintering (HPS), and the microstructure and properties were compared. Results show that dense WC-10Co-0.8VC can be obtained by SPS in several minutes when the sintering temperature is >1200℃. Sintered at a temperature of 1300℃, the sample prepared by SPS for 3 minutes has higher density, finer grains and better properties than that prepared by HPS for 60 minutes. SPS can be used to prepare nanocrystalline WC-10Co-0.8VC with improved properties when suitable sintering parametesr are chosen.

Ultra-fine grained and dispersion-strengthened titanium materials (Ti-Si, Ti-C, Ti-Si-C) have been produced by high energy ball milling and spark plasma sintering (SPS). Silicon or/and carbon were milled together with the titanium powder to form nanometer-sized and homogeneously distributed titanium silicides or/and carbides as dispersoids, that should prevent grain coarsening during the SPS compaction and contribute to strengthening of the material. The microstructures and the mechanical properties showed that strength, hardness and wear resistance of the sintered materials have been significantly improved by the mechanisms of grain refinement and dispersion strengthening. The use of an organic fluid as carrier of the dispersoid forming elements caused a significant increase in ductility.

[ ] oxide layer on the surface of each W(tungsten) nanopowder produced by the electric explosion of wire(EEW) process were formed during the 1vol.% air passivation process. The oxide layer hindered sintering densification of compacts during SPS process. The oxide phase was reduced to the pure W phase during SPS. The W nanopowder's compacts treated by the hydrogen reduction showed high sintered density of 94.5%. after SPS process at .

The dispersion strengthened copper alloy was attracted as thermal and electrical functional material for the high mechanical strength, high thermal stability and good conductivity of . In the present study, the focus is on the synthesis of dispersed copper alloy by spark plasma sintering process using copper oxide and titanium diboride as raw materials. The mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of sintered bodies were discussed with the sintering parameters, and developed microstructure and phase of sintered bodies.

The nanostructure control of ceramics can be achieved by using fine starting powder and retardation of grain growth. The spark plasma sintering technique is useful to retard the grain growth by rapid heating. In the present work, the change of microstructure was investigated with emphasis on the particle size of starting powder, the amount of sintering additive and the heating schedule. The rapid heating by spark plasma sintering gave the fine microstructure consisting of equiaxed grains with the same size as starting particles. The spark plasma sintering of fine powder was effective to control the microstrucutre on nano-meter level.

Nd-Fe-B type powder was sintered using spark plasma sintering method. Fabricated compact sintered at the temperature of , is found to be a composite magnet with Nd-Fe-Co-B and . The compact sintered at shows slightly low coercivity and large remanent magnetization comparing to the compact sintered at due to the formation of phase, resulting in the large maximum energy product. Maximum energy product tends to decrease with decreasing thickness of sintered compacts below 0.5 mm in thickness.

Ceramic-Metal Functionally Graded Materials (FGM) are of great interest for application as Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) or Wear Resistant Coating (WRC). Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) is a promising techniques for time-saving consolidation of laminated/graduated powder systems: SPS is a pressure-assisted electrical sintering method which directly applies a pulsed DC current as heat source. In the present work, production of FGMs by means of Spark Plasma Sintering is considered; effect of sintering condition on density, hardness and fracture toughness is studied. Problems correlated to this new processing technology are discussed.