Bonding Ceramic Substrates

Ceramics are non-metallic, inorganic materials noted for their wear/corrosion resistance, thermal stability, strength and good electrical insulation. Traditional and advanced ceramic products are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, forms and are produced with different ingredients/processing techniques. Master Bond adhesives provide engineers a range of viable design options and have been successfully employed for ceramic to ceramic and ceramic to dissimilar substrate bonding applications. Multiple select formulations have been engineered for adhesion to ceramic components containing aluminum oxide, zirconium dioxide, boron carbide, tungsten carbide, silicon nitride and other advanced technical ceramics.

Diverse ceramic materials have become essential in providing high performance, reliability, durability, longevity for key components used in the aerospace, automotive, electronic, communication, electrical and medical device industries. This has facilitated their use in fiber optics, microelectronic packaging, vibration sensors, microwave transducers, ferroelectric components, fuel cells, naval vehicles and sensors. Manually/automatically applied Master Bond polymeric joining compositions have enabled manufacturers to satisfy their adhesive needs for adhering ceramic surfaces even upon exposure to a combination of hostile conditions. This includes rapid heating/cooling, abrasion, chemical attack, high humidity, stress, fatigue.

Surface preparation for ceramic substrates

Even though ceramic substrates have high surface energy and can be easily wet, it is important to carry out the necessary surface preparation in order to optimize adhesion to different substrates. Typically, degreasing the substrates would help improve their bond strength. However, depending on the ultimate strength required, mechanical abrasion can also be carried out using emery paper or sand blasting. A combination of cleaning and mechanical abrasion can also be employed for optimum results.