Scaling Up Spark Plasma Sintering For High-Density Tungsten Tiles And Multilayer W-Cu Structures

Abstract

The production of dense tungsten components is critical for fusion, aerospace and high-heat-flux applications. This work demonstrates the up-scaling of Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) from laboratory-size pellets to engineering-scale tiles while maintaining high relative density. Commercial-grade tungsten powder was consolidated using a graphite tooling set with active cooling; key process variables (current profile, dwell time, uniaxial pressure) were systematically optimized. The resulting tiles exhibit uniform microstructure and mechanical properties comparable to bulk tungsten, confirming the preservation of intrinsic material performance. In addition, the same SPS platform was explored to fabricate multilayer W-Cu assemblies, illustrating the technique’s flexibility for advanced composite concepts. Practical considerations for industrial adoption—including tooling durability, process repeatability, and integration with downstream machining—are discussed, highlighting SPS as a viable route for large-scale.