The Effect of Post-grinding Heat Treatment of Alumina and Ag-Cu-Ti Braze Preform Thickness on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Alumina-to-Alumina-Brazed Joints

Abstract

Alumina-to-alumina-brazed joints were formed using 96.0 and 99.7 wt.% Al2O3 and TICUSIL® (68.8Ag-26.7Cu-4.5Ti wt.%) preforms of different thicknesses. Brazing was conducted in a vacuum of 1 × 10−5 mbar at 850 °C for 10 minutes. Joint strengths were evaluated using four-point bend testing and were compared to flexural strengths of standard test bars. Post-grinding heat treatment, performed at 1550 °C for 1 hour, did not affect the average surface roughness or grain size of either grades of alumina but affected their average flexural strengths with a small increase for 96.0 wt.% Al2O3 and a small decrease for 99.7 wt.% Al2O3. As the TICUSIL® preform thickness was increased from 50 to 100 µm, the average strengths of both 96.0 and 99.7 wt.% Al2O3 brazed joints improved. Joints made using 100-µm-thick TICUSIL® preforms predominantly consisted of Cu-Ti phases which formed due to excess Ti in the interlayers and non-uniform Ag-rich outflow. Brazed joints of 96.0 wt.% Al2O3 made using 100-µm-thick TICUSIL® preforms achieved an average joint strength of 238 MPa with consistent failure in the ceramic.