What Does
Sintering Mean?
Sintering is a heat treatment process in which a large quantity of loose aggregate material is subjected to a sufficiently high temperature and pressure to cause the loose material to become a compact solid piece. The amount of heat and pressure administered during the sintering process is slightly less than the material's melting point.
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.
Corrosionpedia Explains Sintering
The porous spaces between the material's particles are minimized during the sintering process as the material is squeezed together under high temperature and pressure. This increases some of the material's properties, including:
- Thermal and electrical conductivity
- Material strength
- Translucency