Effect of current path on plasma assisted sintering (PAS) of 3YSZ ceramics

This study designed a facile device to generate stable plasma at room temperature using low voltage/current power source. The setup based on carbon felts as electrodes in air atmosphere, enabled a novel plasma assisted sintering (PAS) technique to consolidate 3 mol% yttria stabilized zirconia ceramics (3YSZ) at room temperature. The activation voltage required for the plasma formation is positively correlated to the distance between the electrodes, with a minimum threshold as low as 50 V. Remarkably, the relative density of PAS-ed 3YSZ ceramics reached 97.4% within 40 s under a voltage of 80 V and a current of 1.7 A. The electrical power dissipation profile and densification of PAS-ed 3YSZ ceramics were analyzed in detail. The results confirmed that the rapid densification of 3YSZ ceramics arises not merely from plasma-induced thermal effects, but it critically depends on the current passing through the specimen. This novel PAS technique establishes a promising approach for the low-cost and rapid preparation of high-performance ceramic materials.