Introduction

Recently, ceramic feedthroughs, due to their exceptional thermal shock resistance and mechanical strength in hermeticity, have become very popular in industries that deal more with airtight applications. The electrical industry, most especially, owes the majority of the technological innovations you see and use today to ceramic feedthroughs. In today’s article, you will learn more about ceramic feedthroughs, their types, properties, applications, and how they work in hermetic or electrical isolation. We will also discuss how you can integrate ceramic feedthroughs into your product design. Lastly, you would see the current international market trend and market value of ceramic feedthroughs.

What are Ceramic Feedthroughs?

Ceramic feedthroughs are ceramic materials that allow high currents, high voltages, electrical signals, gases, or aggressive chemicals from an external source to flow in or out of their hermetically sealed chamber without causing any major interference. When we say hermetic chambers, it simply means chambers with gas or vacuum tightness. Ceramic feedthroughs are known to possess the mechanical strength and toughness to work effectively under intense temperatures and different types of energy. Industrial applications that require very high hermeticity use their durability and toughness to provide electrical isolation and airtightness for high-power electronics products, conduit pipes, spark plugs, defibrillators, optoelectronics, and machines.

The truth is, while some devices may work just fine when you seal them away from environmental factors like dust, some others, especially high-performance devices, perform better at electrical isolation when you seal off any form of leakage that can allow air, gas, or chemicals to penetrate. You can use ceramic-to-metal seals in devices like vacuum sensors and pressure transducers that require accurate temperature and environmental control. Interestingly, you are guaranteed an extra layer of protection and electrical insulation from using these ceramic-to-metal seals like ceramaseal.

You can make ceramic feedthrough insulators industrially from high-purity and high-density ceramic materials like alumina, silicon nitride, zirconia, stainless steel, and braze materials like copper and silver-copper alloys.

Types of Ceramic Feedthroughs

There are various grade types of ceramic feedthroughs available in the market today, depending on their usage. The major types are:

1. High voltage ceramic feedthroughs:

You can use this type of ceramic feedthrough for high voltage operations that fall within the range of 20 Volts to about 1000 Volts.

2. Low-voltage ceramic feedthroughs:

This type operates best for low-voltage operations. It can be used at around 2 Volts.

3. High current ceramic feedthroughs:

This grade of ceramic feedthrough can withstand high currents reaching about 1000 Amperes. However, you shouldn’t use high-current ceramic feedthroughs and high-voltage feedthroughs together in your product designs to avoid complications.

4. Radio Frequency (RF) feedthroughs:

These feedthroughs can detect and transfer radio signals or frequencies without interference. So it can be used in applications that demand an uninterrupted transfer of frequency and signals.

5. Water-cooled feedthroughs:

You can use this type of ceramic feedthrough in heat sinks and high-power electronics that produce so much heat and require fast distribution or dissipation of the heat.

6. Low temperature feedthroughs:

As the name implies, these ceramic feedthroughs are specifically made for applications that need low temperatures. You can also call them cryogenic feedthroughs.

7. Hermetic subminiature D type:

This ceramic feedthrough is a special kind of D-type connector that is subminiature and works best in hermetic conditions like tightly sealed vacuums and pressure pumps. These ceramic-to-metal seals are very efficient and reliable. You can use this D-type connector in sectors like metallurgy, aerospace, defense, and medicine.

Other types of ceramic feedthroughs you can use for your product designs include: low-level signal feedthroughs, high-pressure feedthroughs, single-pin feedthroughs, conflat flanges, etc.

Properties of Ceramic Feedthroughs

Ceramic feedthroughs have some amazing qualities that make them easy for you to use in several applications. Some of these properties are:

• Strong resistance to highly reactive chemicals, which helps to protect the ceramic-to-metal seals from corrosion.

• High compressive strength and hardness, which makes them resistant to wear and tear.

• Excellent electrical insulators.

• Exceptional thermal conductors and heat dissipators, possessing a thermal conductivity of about 30W/m.k

• Ability to withstand high temperatures and still maintain their stability.

• Mechanical strength enhanced by a low porosity of less than 0.5%

• It possesses a density of about 3.95g/cm³

• High fracture toughness, which makes them less likely to easily crack under mechanical stress or tension.

• Has a dielectric constant that falls between the ranges of 9-11.

Applications of Ceramic Feedthroughs

Ceramic feedthroughs have a wide range of applications in many sectors and industries today, some of them are:

1. Manufacturing of Semiconductors:

You can make semiconductors, vacuum chambers, and process plasma with the help of ceramic feedthroughs.

2. Aerospace Industry:

You can use ceramic-to-metal seals to make sensors for satellite communications systems, pressure transducers for spacecraft, and other propulsion systems.

3. Medicine:

Due to the high hermeticity of Ceramic feedthroughs, you can use them in the manufacturing and coating of medical devices like X-ray, implantable pacemakers, and defibrillators.

4. Transmission of signals and electrical isolation:

You can use ceramic feedthroughs in new energy to transmit high-power signals through different communication systems, like undersea and geothermal energy exploration, while strictly maintaining electrical isolation. This is because ceramic feedthroughs keep a very tight seal, which in turn provides a barrier to electrical conduction, eliminates electrical shorts, and isolates the entire chamber from the outside environment.

5. High temperature settings:

You can comfortably use ceramic feedthroughs in applications that require very high temperatures and be assured that they will still work optimally. Wondering why? It’s simply because these ceramaseals have mechanical strength, high thermal conductivity and tough makeup that can withstand intense heat and still serve as a good connector equipment. An example is the spark plug used in automobiles today.

Ceramic Feedthroughs for hermetic or electrical isolation applications

You can achieve hermeticity (airtightness) in high vacuum settings and related applications by making use of this all-important essential material called “ceramic feedthroughs”.  The reason is simple, ceramic feedthroughs are mainly designed to withstand very high temperatures and serve as a well sealed channel for the inflow and outflow of signals, voltages and currents. Actually, it doesn’t end there, due to the ceramic to metal coatings (gotten from brazen techniques), ceramic feedthroughs effectively stop electrical shorts by properly isolating electricity between the external and internal environment.

For example, let’s examine how a spark plug works: It uses ceramic feedthrough insulators with high dielectric strength to electrically isolate the central electrode and grounded metal shell. This enables a spark to be created in the combustion chamber after high voltage is transmitted between the central electrode and the grounded metal shell. This spark powers the engine after the mixture of air and fuel. Now, remember that all these systematic processes and electrical isolation take place in a hermetically sealed chamber, intense heat and mechanical stress but you would notice that the spark plug doesn’t crumble under pressure or malfunction due to the mechanical strength and thermal conductivity of the ceramic feedthrough insulators in them.

Ceramic feedthroughs are indeed very reliable and durable materials because they have the sheer mechanical strength, flexibility and all it takes to withstand tough environments, provide hermetically sealed chambers and electrical isolation. Like you’ve seen, the hermeticity and electrical isolation are useful for different industrial applications ranging from aerospace and medicine to the electrical and automobile industry.

Current Market Trends and Market Value of Ceramic Feedthroughs

The international market size of ceramic feedthrough is currently very high due to increased global demand and the widespread use of these materials. If you are an investor, it would interest you to know that in 2023, the market hit a high of about $348.5 million, with a large Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 8.65%, it then skyrocketed to a whopping $14.3billion in 2024. Recently economists have speculated that you should possibly be expecting a market value of around $18 billion by 2032.

Here at GGSCeramics, we also have a rich blend of top-quality and affordable ceramaseals and ceramic feedthroughs made from excellent materials that can withstand high temperatures and perform numerous operations. You can do well to send in your purchase orders, and we’ll be glad to satisfy any cravings of your choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a hermetic and semi-hermetic compressor?

In a semi-hermetic compressor, you will notice a sealed shell that protects the motor and compressor from the environment, while a hermetic compressor does not have this protection.

What is the difference between Hermetic and non-Hermetic packages

If you want longevity even in unfavourable environments, and you also want to get very high performance levels and efficiency, then hermetic packages like vacuum pumps and pressure transducers can provide that for you while applications with lesser operational requirements and reliability usually use non- hermetic packages

What is a feedthrough connector?

A feedthrough connector, while maintaining electrical isolation, allows signals and power to pass through a printed circuit board.

Where can I purchase efficient and affordable hermetic feedthroughs?

You can purchase quality and affordable hermetic feedthroughs from top firms like  GGSCeramics.

Conclusion

Ceramic feedthroughs are becoming the ultimate game changer when it comes to hermetic seals. This perfect combination of advanced ceramics and metals (ceramic to metal seals) in airtight vacuums leaves you with absolutely no worries in whatever applications you choose because even in unfavourable conditions, they still possess the rugged mechanical properties to perform excellently. Ceramic feedthroughs can do just about anything, you should try them out!