SAM #BA-1488_2

Licensing Opportunity: Continuous Electric-Field Assisted Sintering (CEFAS) Technology from Idaho National Laboratory

This notice announces a technology licensing opportunity from the Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory (INL): - The technology is called Continuous Electric-Field Assisted Sintering (CEFAS) - CEFAS enables continuous sintering of powdered materials using a roller-based system - Overcomes throughput and geometry limitations of traditional batch EFAS systems - The opportunity is for licensing, co-development, or evaluation of the technology - No procurement, contract, or purchase is being solicited - No vendors, OEMs, products, or part numbers are listed - Intended for commercial partners interested in technology transfer and commercialization - No specific requirements, quantities, or period of performance are provided - This is a technology transfer notice, not a solicitation for goods or services

Description

Overview

Electric-field assisted sintering (EFAS) consolidates powdered materials by applying combined electrical current and mechanical force to compress and heat samples, reaching temperatures above 2000 degrees Celsius. Conventional EFAS systems operate as a batch process, producing one sample at a time and rarely more than five per cycle. This invention, a continuous electric-field assisted sintering (CEFAS) instrument, changes the form factor of the process. Rather than passing current through a die that compresses a single sample, the CEFAS approach passes current across rollers that heat and compress material as it travels through them. Combined with uniaxial and shear stresses, this continuous configuration is designed to sinter material without the length constraints imposed by a fixed die. It is intended to support higher production rates, new part geometries, and clearer pathways to industrial-scale output.

Industry Need

Sintering is required across many material-processing applications, but conventional EFAS systems are constrained by their batch architecture. Because samples are formed inside an enclosed die, the die dimensions set an upper bound on both part size and geometry, which limits the range of components that can be produced. The one-at-a-time processing model also restricts throughput, creating a barrier to industrial scale-up for manufacturers who need consistent, higher-volume production. These constraints affect any organization that relies on sintering to consolidate materials, where die-based limits on geometry and volume can restrict what is manufacturable and how efficiently production can grow.

Differentiation & Advantages

Operates as a continuous process rather than a batch process, which is designed to remove the one-at-a-time throughput ceiling of die-based EFAS systems. Replaces the enclosed die with a roller-based configuration, removing the die-length constraint on finished parts. Imposes no limitation on part length, constraining only part width, which may enable production of extended and previously impractical geometries. Applies combined uniaxial and shear stresses during heating, which is intended to support continuous consolidation as material moves through the system.

Potential Applications

Material processing for any manufacturer that consolidates powdered materials through sintering. Production of extended or continuous-length components not achievable in fixed-die systems. Manufacturing contexts requiring higher-throughput sintering than batch EFAS can support. Fabrication of part geometries constrained or precluded by enclosed-die dimensions.

Partnering Opportunity

This technology is available for collaboration through technology transfer, and this is not a procurement opportunity. We are not soliciting or acquiring services, products, or contract work. Instead, we are seeking industry partners interested in licensing, co-development, or evaluation of the technology for commercial application.

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