Evaluation of the Strength of Brazed Joints in Ceramics/Metal Thruster

Abstract

Ceramic/metal brazing was investigated to produce light-weight and highly-efficient ceramic thrusters. Silicon nitride ceramic and metal bars were brazed using an Ag-based brazing material. Four-point bend tests were conducted at room and high temperatures to evaluate the strength of the brazed joints. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element method (FEM) analyses were also performed to investigate the effect of the construction and shape of the joints on the stress distribution around them. It was demonstrated that brazing was a great candidate as the joining technique, and a 20 N ceramics/metal brazed thruster was successfully produced.