Fabrication of a nano-laminar ceramic composite by sintering thin ceramic plates was examined. Silver-coated glass flakes with a thickness of less than were consolidated by pulsed current sintering or hotpressing to obtain model composites. The samples sintered at the optimum conditions were fairly dense, and the flakes were aligned by uniaxial press. The metal coating remained on the flakes through the sintering process, and became an interface layer between the flakes. No crack propagation through the transverse direction of the lamellar was observed in the indentation test. The possibilities of high resistance against crack propagation was suggested.

Hybrid atomization is a new atomization technique that combines gas atomization with centrifugal atomization. This process can produce fine, spherical powders economically with a mean size of about 10 m diameter and a tight size distribution.