Yttria tetragonal zirconia polycrystal was mechanically metallized with titanium and the wetting behavior on the ceramic surface was analyzed using the conventional fillers Ag-28Cu and Au-18Ni. These alloys had dissolved the active metal coating, which acts to zirconia reduction on its surface and promoting suitable chemical bonding to the metallic member. Better wetting results were selected for indirect brazing in a high-vacuum furnace for ZrO2/Ti-6Al-4V simple butt joints. Helium gas leak detection was made at the joints interface; samples were removed from the tight joints cross-section and examined by microstructural analysis techniques and EDX analysis. There was formation of a dark reaction layer close to the metalized ceramic surface, which was responsible for its good wetting behavior using the filler Ag-28Cu. However, the Au-18Ni filler alloy caused an excessive presence of intermetallics and interfacial microcracking. Microhardness profiles were made across the joints interface to where zirconia undergone typical darkening and there was no significant variation between consecutive measurements; performance of brazed joints was considered satisfactory by three-point flexure testing.
mechanical metallization; zirconia; brazing; ceramic
