Characterization of a bonding method for titanium-glass sealing

Applications for smart medical implants require hermetic and mechanically strong seals between functional and biocompatible materials. Hermetic seals between titanium Ti6Al4V and silica-based glass can be produced using a novel bonding method based on glass pressing at temperatures around the softening point. This paper presents investigation results for the tensile bond strength and the gas leak rate depending on the manufacturing process parameters. Notably, when using blasted surfaces, the tensile bond strengths reached 12 MPa and good adherence with very low leakage due to the removed oxide layer and surface structure. The interface is analyzed and characterized by applying SEM methods related to the different adhesion mechanisms.