Determination of atomic diffusion coefficient via isochronal spark plasma sintering

Abstract During spark plasma sintering (SPS), it is widely argued that the densification mechanism of powder particles can be correlated with some specific physical quantities; however, an atomic diffusion coefficient D has yet to be derived. In this work, we report on the establishment of a framework, which can be used to derive the value of the D and further provide significant insight into the densification mechanisms that are active during powder sintering. We validate the framework by comparing the densification behavior of the atomized and milled Ti 40.6 Zr 9.4 Cu 37.5 Ni 9.4 Sn 3.1 metallic glass powders during SPS, and clarifying the underlying densification mechanisms.