What does sintered mean?
Sintered describes a material or component formed by heating a powder or porous substance until the particles partially fuse and the material becomes denser and more cohesive. Unlike full melting, which produces a liquid that must be shaped and cooled, sintering preserves the material’s solid structure while joining its particles. The process is important in ceramics, where it produces hard, durable items such as tiles, filters, and insulators, and in metallurgy, where compacted metal powders can be sintered into precise mechanical parts. The word is primarily technical, but it can be understood through the common image of heat transforming a loose powder into a solid. Sintered materials are valued for strength, reduced porosity, heat resistance, and dimensional stability.
Formed by heating a powder or porous material until it partially fuses and becomes dense.
"The engine contains a sintered metal filter."
Chiefly used in ceramics, metallurgy, and materials science.
Past tense and past participle of sinter: to form a dense solid by heating a powder or porous material so that its particles partially fuse.
"The technicians sintered the compacted powder in a high-temperature furnace."
Usually used in technical contexts.
Sintering turns loose powder into a solid material without melting it completely, making it a cornerstone of ceramics and powder metallurgy.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sintered come from?
The word comes from the English verb sinter, which was borrowed from German sintern, meaning to form a solid mass from a powder through heating. English sinter is related to words for dross, slag, or ash, including cinder, and both belong to the same Germanic vocabulary.
Related word forms
How sintered is actually used
As an adjective, sintered is used mainly in technical and industrial contexts, especially ceramics, metallurgy, and materials science. In general use, it describes an object made by a process of partial fusion and compaction.