Reactive flash sintering of powders of four constituents into a single phase of a complex oxide in a few seconds below 700°C

Recent work on reactive flash sintering of powders of two oxides, bismuth and of iron oxide, into pure single phase bismuth ferrite, which was accomplished in a few seconds at low furnace temperatures, is expanded to four constituents, alumina, lithia, zirconia, and lanthana, to produce reasonably dense polycrystals of a predominantly single phase, cubic LLZO(Al). Transformation and sintering occur concurrently at a furnace temperature near 700°C, in ambient atmosphere, in just a few seconds. The process may simplify the preparation of complex ceramics with new chemistries and dopants, which are predicted from ab intio calculations to have special attributes, not only because the powders sinter quickly at low temperatures, but also because the need for stoichiometric powders as starting materials is obviated.