A general method to synthesize and sinter bulk ceramics in seconds

Speedy ceramic sintering Synthesizing ceramics can require heating for long times at high temperatures, making the screening of high-through-put materials challenging. C. Wang et al. developed a new ceramic-sintering technique that uses resistive heating of thin carbon strips to ramp up and ramp down temperature quickly. This method allows for the quick synthesis of a wide variety of ceramics while mitigating the loss of volatile elements. Ultrafast sintering is ideal for synthesizing many compositions to screen for ideal properties for a variety of applications, including the development of new solid-state electrolytes. Science , this issue p. 521