Development of a PVD coating for electrically conductive ceramic tubes

Image Source: CITRA (Engineering Center for Advanced Surface Treatment and Coatings)

Project: Keramik Innovation Berthold x CITRA for the EU project ēQATOR

As part of the EU project ēQATOR, Keramik Innovation Berthold developed a novel process for ensuring electrical contact of conductive ceramic tubes.

The aim of the ēQATOR project is to create electrically heated catalytic reactors in order to use electrical energy from renewable sources directly for chemical processes – an important step towards sustainable industrial production.

To implement this innovative technology, we worked with the CITRA-Team to develop a physical vapour deposition (PVD) coating process that enables reliable and the precise electrical contact of electrically conductive ceramic tubes we designed.

As part of the collaboration, a 5 µm thick aluminium layer was deposited onto the tube ends using the PVD process. This layer ensures electrical conductivity and enables a stable contact in the reactor system.

To check the layer quality, the coating thickness was precisely measured using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) – a crucial step in ensuring the high quality requirements of the project.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the CITRA-PVD-Team – Guillaume Desbordes and Thomas Crouzet – for their expert support in developing and optimising the coating process.

Keramik Innovation Berthold stands for innovative technical solutions, practical research and partnership-based cooperation – from the initial idea to industrial implementation.