Brazing joint boosts titanium enclosures

. The formulation, developed by researchers at Pacific Aerospace & Electronics (part of Souriau), allows copper/molybdenum or aluminium/silicon carbide heat sinks to be added to the hermetic titanium package. This, says the company, can reduce internal heat by as much as 50%. The position and shape of the heat sinks can be changed to match hot spots in a particular application. The housings keep sensitive electronics in an inert atmosphere and are aimed at harsh applications such as the defence and aerospace sectors. Titanium’s poor thermal conductivity meant it was difficult to use as an enclosure material – though it has ideal mechanical properties, such as being three times stiffer than aluminium. Using this new method, Souriau expects to be able to re-design aluminium enclosures in titanium.