Ultra-Strong High-Temperature Bonding of Titanium to Ceramic Materials

The objective of this project is development of novel ultra strong high-temperature bonding of titanium (Ti) to ceramic materials, through application of advanced nano- and micro scale Micro-Column Array (MCA) structures fabricated by laser ablation. The proposed manufacturing process will be extended from our recent innovations on the enhancement of bond strength using surface modification of adherent surfaces and modification of adhesive by the introduction of reinforcing components. The combination of these unique features will result in a revolutionary improvement of the bonds between titanium and ceramic materials. In addition to these features the bonding process is relatively inexpensive, environmentally safe, and universal. There are several advantages of the MCA-structured surfaces in contributing to the strength and stability of the brazed joints. Our preliminary results on adhesive bonding indicate that the bond strength increased more than 4 times is dependent on the bonding medium and hence can be extended to bonding of dissimilar materials using brazing alloys. Use of brazing alloys is expected to completely wet Ti side. We also plan to improve the wettability of the brazing alloy with ceramic surface by coating intermediate layers.