The production of nanocrystalline ceramics for subsequent use in superplastic forming operations requires that the ceramics be made in large quantities, with high densities, and under stringent grain growth control. To make large amounts of nanocrystalline starting powders, two popular wet chemical techniques (precipitation from salt solutions and alkoxide hydrolysis) can be used and are described in this paper. Unfortunately, pressureless sintering of these powders does not typically lead to the high densities and ultrafine grain sizes desired in the final product. Sintering data suggest that pore shrinkage occurs only when grains reach a critical size with respect to the pore size; thus, if the ceramic contains large pores, densification can require significant grain growth. Separation of large pores from grain boundaries may also occur and lead to incomplete densification, even at extremely large grain sizes. In all cases the pressureless sintering behavior of the nanocrystalline ceramics appears to adhere to well established theories used to explain the sintering of conventional, larger-grained ceramics. During both pressureless sintering and sinter-forging experiments, the grain size of a nanocrystalline ceramic is identical to the average spacing between open pores in the sample. Pressureless sintering results in the closure of these pinning pores by about 90% density and thus leads to a substantial grain growth at densities greater than 90%. Sinter-forging, however, often allows one to maintain a stable population of small open pores (for pinning purposes) throughout sintering, while preferentially eliminating the large pores which detract from the sample density. The deformation regime in which sinter-forging is performed has a decided effect on whether large pores or small pores are eliminated preferentially and, consequently, on whether a high density and fine grain size combination is achieved or not.
