Microstructure and conductivity of blacklight-sintered TiO2, YSZ, and Li0.33La0.57TiO3

Rapid densification of ceramics has been realized and its merits were demonstrated through multiple approaches out of which UHS and flash sintering attract recent attention. So far, however, scalability remains difficult. A rise in throughput and scalability is enabled by the introduction of blacklight sintering powered by novel light source technology. Intense illumination with photon energy above the bandgap (blacklight) allows high absorption efficiency and, hence, very rapid, contactless heating for all ceramics. While heating the ceramic directly with light without any furnace promises scalability, it simultaneously offers highly accurate process control. For the technology transfer to industry, attainable material quality needs to be assured. Here, we demonstrate the excellent microstructure quality of blacklight-sintered ceramics observed with ultrahigh voltage electron microscopy revealing an option to tune nanoporosity. Moreover, we confirm that electronic, electron, oxygen, and lithium-ion conductivities are equal to conventionally sintered ceramics. This gives the prospect of transmitting the merits of rapid densification to the scale of industrial kilns.

Automated summary

Blacklight sintering technology enables rapid densification of ceramics with precise process control and excellent material quality.