Sintering is the process of fusing particles together into one solid mass by using a combination of pressure and heat without melting the materials. Common particles that are sintered together include metal, ceramic, plastic, and other various materials.

For pure metal solid solutions, the sintering temperature is 2/3 – 3/4 Tm. For example, the sintering of Fe takes place at 1000 °C–1200 °C, and for Cu at 700 °C–900 °C.