A look into Spark "Plasma" Sintering and why the name is a misnomer. Follow the history as it goes from Mayan jewelry making all the way to Dr. Sparks building one in his lab at the University of Utah. Finally, dive into its current applications and possibilities in the future.
Articles Discussed:

2006 Z. A. Munir, The effect of electric field and pressure on the synthesis and consolidation of materials: A review of the spark plasma sintering method.
1912 G. Weintraub, Process and Apparatus for sintering refractory materials [LINK]
2014 Olivier Guillon, Field-Assisted Sintering Technology/Spark Plasma Sintering: Mechanisms, Materials, and Technology Developments [LINK]
2005 Annika Pettersson, Titanium–titanium diboride composites as part of a gradient armour material [LINK]
2005 C. Shearwood, Spark plasma sintering of TiNi nano-powder [LINK]

This episode is sponsored by Matmatch. Check out how they can help you find the perfect material for your next engineering project! This episode is also sponsored by Materials Today, an Elsevier community dedicated to the creation and sharing of materials science knowledge and experience through their peer-reviewed journals, academic conferences, educational webinars, and more.
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Materialism Team: Taylor Sparks (co-creator), Andrew Falkowski (co-creator, co-host, production), Jared Duffy (production, marketing, and editing), Ramsey Issa (co-host, production, editing assistance).
Keywords: sintering plasma electric pressure materials science engineering chemistry physics
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