Influence of flash sintering on phase transformation and conductivity of hydroxyapatite

Abstract We report on the influence of current density limits on phase transformation, density, and microstructure of Hydroxyapatite (HAp) subjected to flash sintering experiments. Arrhenius plots of the electrical conductivity during the constant heating rate experiments showed changes in the ionic conductivity mechanisms during the incubation time, contrasting behavior from other materials presented so far. Flash sintering also suppressed the formation of β-tricalcium phosphate, which occurs during conventional sintering. We report herein that low current density limits were able to successfully sinter dense HAp with minimal phase transformations under lower furnace temperature and significantly shorter time processing.