Sintering is a common practice used widely with both metals and ceramic materials. Sintering is a direct application of capillary condensation, because of the adhesion effects of dust and powders. This application can be seen directly in sol-gel thin film synthesis.  The sol-gel is a colloid solution which is placed on a substrate, usually through a dip-coating method. After being placed onto the substrate, a source of heat is applied to evaporate all undesired liquid. While the liquid is evaporating, the particles that were once in solution adhere to each other, thus forming a thin film.