Protocol for Ultralow-Temperature Ceramic Sintering: An Integration of Nanotechnology and the Cold Sintering Process

TLDR

Sintering transforms particulate materials into dense ceramics, yet despite recent advances it remains a high‑temperature process, as illustrated by the widely used BaTiO3 ferroelectric model. The study establishes a protocol to produce dense ceramic solids below 200 °C by integrating nanoparticle technology into the cold sintering process. The protocol tailors the sintering path by exploiting the high surface‑to‑volume ratio of nanoparticles, with experimental studies and thermodynamic analysis guiding the process. The technique offers broad application potential and serves as a roadmap for future ultralow‑temperature ceramic sintering, material integration, and sustainable manufacturing research.

Abstract

The sintering process is an essential step in taking particulate materials into dense ceramic materials. Although a number of sintering techniques have emerged over the past few years, the sintering process is still performed at high temperatures. Here we establish a protocol to achieve dense ceramic solids at extremely low temperatures (<200 °C) via integrating the particle nanotechnology into the recently developed cold sintering process (CSP). The sintering path has been appropriately tailored via effectively utilizing the large surface-to-volume ratio of nanoparticles. BaTiO3 ceramics have been used for the illustration, given its importance in extensive electronic device applications, as well as its scientific interest, being a model material for many of the ferroelectric materials. Together with detailed experimental studies, the trends are also analyzed with a fundamental thermodynamic consideration. Such an impactful technique could have widespread application prospects in a wide variety of materials and would also provide a clear roadmap to guide future studies on ultralow-temperature ceramic sintering, ceramic materials related integration, and sustainable manufacturing practices.