Microwave assisted reactive brazing of ceramic materials

A method for bonding base materials using localized millimeter wave energy comprising:

• applying a joining material to coat each surface of the base materials being joined,
• disposing each said base material such that the coated surfaces of the base materials being joined are in contact and form a joint area,
• heating said joint area with a millimeter wave beam to an initial joining temperature,
• heating said joint area with a millimeter wave beam from the initial joining temperature to a reactive temperature of the joining material and the base materials,
• maintaining said joint area at said reactive temperature for a predetermined period,
• cooling said joint area to a recrystalization temperature,
• maintaining said joint area at the recrystalization temperature for a predetermined period, and
• cooling said joint area to a temperature below the recrystalization temperature.

A method for bonding materials using localized millimeter wave energy comprising:

• applying a thin coating of a joining material, which is chemically reactive with the base material at a predetermined temperature, to each surface of the base materials being joined,
• disposing each said base material such that the surface of the base materials being joined form a joint area and are in contact with the desired alignment and pressure necessary for maintaining contact between the base materials and creating the desired component assembly,
• heating said joint area with a beam of millimeter wave energy applied to the surfaces of the base material being joined to achieve localized heating of the joint area, said heating including:
• heating said joint area to an initial joining temperature, wherein said joining material softens and fills physical discontinuities between the surfaces of the base materials being joined, and
• rapidly heating said joint area to the reactive temperature of the joining material and the base materials,
• maintaining said joint area at said reactive temperature to allow for the interdiffusion of the base and joining materials such that the reactive material diffuses away into the bonded base material forming of a homogenous joint region,
• rapidly cooling said joint area to a recrystalization temperature;
• maintaining said joint area at the recystalization temperature for a predetermined period, and cooling said joint area to room temperature.