ABSTRACT
The dominant method of fabricating polycrystalline ceramic bodies, especially monolithic ones, is via various methods of powder consolidation followed by pressureless sintering. The domination of such combinations arises from their advantages often outweighing their limitations. Advantages include versatility of such fabrication methods over a considerable range of materials, component sizes and shapes, often using techniques amenable to automation, and with moderate costs. There are some limitations of materials that can be processed, the individual consolidation methods, and the microstructures and hence properties achievable. Some of these limitations are reduced or removed by use of additives, which can also enhance results with materials amenable to such processing, as discussed in Chapter 5. There are also generally some other potentially competing methods, such as pressure sintering, CVD, and melt forming discussed in Chapter 6, that have some applicability and considerable potential for more, as well as some other processes for specialized fabrication discussed in Chapter 7. However, powder-based fabrication discussed in this chapter and some in Chapters 5 and 7 is expected to continue to be the dominant method of fabrication of ceramics as well as many ceramic composites.
