How does Macor machinable ceramic perform in a vacuum environment

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Macor is a high-performance machinable ceramic material developed by the American company Corning, which has excellent mechanical properties, electrical insulation, high temperature resistance, and chemical stability. Due to its unique machinability (which allows for precision machining with ordinary metal processing tools), Macor has been widely used in aerospace, semiconductor, vacuum technology, and other fields.

Basic characteristics of Macor
Before explaining the performance of Macor in a vacuum environment, let’s first understand its basic physical and chemical properties:
Density: 2.52 g/cm ³
Bending strength:~90 MPa
Thermal expansion coefficient: (20-300 ° C) 9.3 × 10 ⁻⁶/° C
Maximum operating temperature: 1000 ° C (short-term), 800 ° C (long-term)
Thermal conductivity: 1.46 W/m · K
Volume resistivity (25 ° C):>10 ¹⁴Ω· cm
Vacuum release rate: extremely low (suitable for high and ultra-high vacuum environments)
These characteristics make Macor perform well in vacuum environments, especially in applications that require high temperature resistance, low gas release, and electrical insulation.

Macor’s key advantages in vacuum environments
Extremely low deflation rate
In a vacuum system, material outgassing is a key factor affecting the vacuum degree. The main components of Macor are borosilicate glass phase and ceramic phase, without organic binders, so the gas release rate is extremely low in vacuum environment, suitable for:
-High vacuum (HV, 10 ⁻⁶~10 ⁻⁹ mbar)
-Ultra high vacuum (UHV,<10 ⁻⁹ mbar)
Compared to many plastic or metal materials, Macor does not release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or moisture, which can maintain the long-term stability of vacuum systems.

Excellent high temperature resistance performance
Macor can work stably for a long time at 800 ° C and withstand high temperatures of 1000 ° C in the short term. It is suitable for:
-Vacuum furnace insulation components
-High temperature fixtures in semiconductor manufacturing
-Spacecraft thermal protection components

Good electrical insulation
In high vacuum environments, electrical insulation materials need to avoid discharge or leakage problems. Macor has a high volume resistivity (>10 ¹⁴Ω· cm) and is suitable for:
-High voltage vacuum insulator
-Dielectric components of particle accelerator
-Supporting structure of vacuum electronic devices

Chemical inertness, corrosion resistance
Macor has excellent corrosion resistance to most acids, bases, and solvents, and will not react with residual gases (such as oxygen and water vapor) in a vacuum environment. It is suitable for:
-Plasma etching equipment
-Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Chamber Components

Easy to precision machine
Macor can be processed into complex shapes using ordinary CNC machines or manual tools, reducing assembly difficulty in vacuum systems and suitable for:
-Customized vacuum seals
-Precision vacuum feedthrough
-Optical bracket and adjustment mechanism

Typical Applications of Macor in Vacuum Systems
Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment
-Usage: Used for wafer fixtures, plasma reaction chamber insulation components.
-Advantages: resistance to plasma erosion, low gas release, high temperature stability.

Aerospace and satellite components
-Purpose: Vacuum insulation layer for spacecraft, support for satellite sensors.
-Advantages: Lightweight, radiation resistant, and heat-resistant.

Particle Accelerator and Nuclear Fusion Device
-Usage: Ultra high vacuum insulator, beam collimator.
-Advantages: high resistivity, low gas release, and radiation resistance.

Vacuum coating and optical coating equipment
-Usage: Evaporation source bracket, mask fixing component.
-Advantages: High temperature resistance, non polluting coating process.

Comparison between Macor and other vacuum materials
-Macor is superior to alumina ceramics in terms of processability and vacuum adaptability.
-Compared to metal, Macor does not affect vacuum degree due to deflation.
-Compared to plastic, Macor has higher temperature resistance and is suitable for harsh environments.

Macor machinable ceramics perform well in vacuum environments, mainly due to their low gas release rate, high temperature resistance, electrical insulation, chemical stability, and ease of processing. It is widely used in semiconductor, aerospace, nuclear physics and other fields, solving the problems of gas release, temperature resistance and insulation of traditional materials in vacuum systems.
For applications that require precise, reliable, and long-lasting vacuum components, Macor is an ideal choice.

Brudeze Ceramics supplies and sells a wide range of high-quality quartz glass, including alumina ceramics, zirconia ceramics, silicon nitride ceramics, aluminum nitride ceramics, silicon carbide ceramics, boron carbide ceramics, bioceramics, machinable ceramics, etc. We can meet the customization requirements of various ceramic products.