Patent ID: 7547408

Claim:
A pre-sintering process for reducing non-uniformities in the density of a sintered material, the pre-sintering process comprising: (a) providing a mixture of (i) a first sinterable material containing a contaminant the presence of which during sintering of said first sinterable material results in a higher vapor pressure than would occur during sintering of pure said first sinterable material and (ii) a second material having a higher affinity for said contaminant than does said first sinterable material, wherein the amount of the second material relative to the contaminant is from 95% of stoichiometric equivalent to 1000% stoichiometric excess; and (b) heating said mixture at a temperature and for a time sufficient to allow said second material to at least partly mitigate the propensity of said contaminant to raise the vapor pressure during said sintering of said first sinterable material.