Spark plasma sintering (SPS) is a powder metallurgy process that sinters powder materials within a short time by simultaneous application of electrical current and pressure. SPS differs from other conventional powder metallurgy processes by its heating mechanism, which is Joule heating of the sample within a graphite die. This study investigates the consolidation of aluminum powder by SPS. Different pressures were used and particle bonding evaluated by means of fracture surface analysis. Electrical resistance, obtained from online monitoring of the variation of voltage and current during the process, showed an enhanced descent at 0.3 T m , and the area under this drop was associated with ductility: the greater the area, the higher the ductility. This temperature corresponds to a significant increase in the hardness ratio of the oxide layer to aluminum, where breakdown of the oxide layer becomes easier, permitting enhanced metallurgical bonding between the powder particles.
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