Friday, July 8, 2011

Copper-to-Glass Seals


Copper-to-glass seals: Although the CTE difference between glass and copper is large, a satisfactory vacuum seal can be made which utilizes the property of glass to “wet” copper oxide, some of which diffuses into the glass and forms a transition phase. For a satisfactory seal, the oxide layer should be no more than a few tenths of a micron thick and may consist of various oxides.

1.  The copper piece is tapered down to a very thin feather edge in order to follow the expansion and contraction of the glass. The feather edge must be smooth and polished.

2.  Degreasing and hydrogen-firing at 800°C.

3.  The copper piece is usually borated by heating to redness in air and quenching in a concentrated solution of sodium borate. The color of the copper at the seal site should have a uniform deep red to purple sheen.

4.  The copper and glass are heated to 1000°C in air and brought together. This is a process called beading

5.  Copper-glass seals must be carefully annealed in an oven immediately after glassing

6. The assembly is chemically cleaned to remove the excess copper oxides.

For more info please go to http://www.beltfurnaces.com

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