Device and Method for Sintering

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This invention presents a sintering apparatus and method that enables ultra-fast, industrial-scale sintering of powder-based components. The device consists of two electrically conductive components and one or more specially designed conductive surface elements (e.g., carbon felts, tapes, or mats). When these components are moved relative to each other, a circuit is created, rapidly heating the surface element by electric current. This heat is transferred to the powder 'green body,' allowing it to be sintered in seconds or minutes. The system can be easily integrated with common sintering equipment such as FAST/SPS systems, enabling quasi-continuous or fully continuous high-speed production of technical ceramics, metals, and composites.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Industrial-scale production of advanced ceramics and metal components via ultra-fast sintering.
• Manufacturing of battery, fuel cell, or electrolysis cell components requiring fast, precise densification.
• Fabrication of porous electrodes, dense membranes, or complex-shape parts in the chemical, energy, and automotive industries.
• Integration into existing FAST/SPS (Spark Plasma Sintering) or continuous furnace systems for enhanced productivity.
• Rapid prototyping or 3D-printed 'green bodies' sintering for additive manufacturing workflows.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Dramatically reduced sintering times (seconds to under 1-2 minutes), leading to higher throughput.
• Lower energy consumption due to shorter heating cycles and localized heat application.
• Improved control over grain growth and microstructure, enhancing part properties such as strength, porosity, and conductivity.
• Easy integration with established industrial sintering systems, minimizing retrofit costs.
• Scalability from lab to industrial scales, including continuous or quasi-continuous operation for mass production.
• Flexible design, allowing both single-sided (for coatings) or double-sided heating configurations.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a device and to a method for sintering. A device (10) for sintering comprises an electrically conductive first component (11), an electrically conductive second component (12) and at least one electrically conductive surface element (20, 20') for heating a green body (14) that is to be sintered. The first component (11) and the second component (12) are able to move relative to one another and/or relative to the surface element (20, 20') in such a way that an electrical circuit, comprising the first component (11), the surface element (20, 20') and the second component (12), can be closed by way of the relative movement. In this way, a rapid sintering method is made possible on an industrial scale. The device can be integrated particularly easily into existing sintering systems, for example a FAST/SPS sintering system.