Sandia Corporation

F Michael Hosking

Aaron C Hall

Charles A Walker

Richard C Givler

Charles Henry Cadden

Frederick G Yost

Mark Reece

John J Stephens, Jr

A method for making a braze joint across a discontinuity in a work piece using alternating current. A filler metal is pre-placed at a location sufficiently close to the discontinuity such that, when an alternating current is applied across a work piece to heat the work piece and melt the filler metal, the filler metal is drawn into the discontinuity. The alternating current is maintained for a set residence time, generally less than 10 seconds and more particularly less than 3 seconds. The alternating current is then altered, generally by reducing the current and/or voltage such that the filler metal can solidify to form a braze joint of desired quality and thickness.

Method for controlling brazing

A binary allow braze composition has been prepared and used in a bonded article of ceramic-ceramic and ceramic-metal materials. The braze composition comprises greater than approximately 95 wt % silver, greater than approximately 2 wt % hafnium and less than approximately 4.1 wt % hafnium, and less than approximately 0.2 wt % trace elements. The binary braze alloy is used to join a ceramic material to another ceramic material or a ceramic material, such as alumina, quartz, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, and mullite, to a metal material, such as iron-based metals, cobalt-based metals, nickel-based metals, molybdenum-based metals, tungsten-based metals, niobium-based metals, and tantalum-based metals. A hermetic bonded article is obtained with a strength greater than 10,000 psi.

Silver-hafnium braze alloy

A capillary test specimen, method, and system for visualizing and quantifying capillary flow of liquids under realistic conditions, including polymer underfilling, injection molding, soldering, brazing, and casting. The capillary test specimen simulates complex joint geometries and has an open cross-section to permit easy visual access from the side. A high-speed, high-magnification camera system records the location and shape of the moving liquid front in real-time, in-situ as it flows out of a source cavity, through an open capillary channel between two surfaces having a controlled capillary gap, and into an open fillet cavity, where it subsequently forms a fillet on free surfaces that have been configured to simulate realistic joint geometries. Electric resistance heating rapidly heats the test specimen, without using a furnace. Image-processing software analyzes the recorded images and calculates the velocity of the moving liquid front, fillet contact angles, and shape of the fillet's meniscus, among other parameters.

Capillary test specimen, system, and methods for in-situ visualization of capillary flow and fillet formation

This invention relates to a method for preparing the surface of a ceramic component that enables direct brazing using a non-active braze alloy. The present invention also relates to a method for directly brazing a ceramic component to a ceramic or metal member using this method of surface preparation, and to articles produced by using this brazing method. The ceramic can be high purity alumina. The method comprises applying a first coating of a silicon-bearing oxide material (e.g. silicon dioxide or mullite (3Al O .2SiO ) to the ceramic. Next, a thin coating of active metal (e.g. Ti or V) is applied. Finally, a thicker coating of a non-active metal (e.g. Au or Cu) is applied. The coatings can be applied by physical vapor deposition (PVD). Alternatively, the active and non-active metals can be co-deposited (e.g. by sputtering a target made of mullite). After all of the coatings have been applied, the ceramic can be fired at a high temperature in a non-oxidizing environment to promote diffusion, and to enhance bonding of the coatings to the substrate. After firing, the metallized ceramic component can be brazed to other components using a conventional non-active braze alloy. Alternatively, the firing and brazing steps can be combined into a single step. This process can replace the need to perform a &ldquo;moly-manganese&rdquo; metallization step.

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Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

F Michael Hosking