Hermetic glass micro reactor porting

• US 20050276730A1
• Filed: 06/13/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Marques, Paulo, Dannoux, Thierry L.A.
• Application Number:
  US11/152,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20050276730A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/103
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0093 Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors laboratory containers with capillary fluid transport in microfabricated channels or chambers B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0081 Plurality of modules
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00824 Ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00831 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/565 Seals in general F16L

Abstract

A hermetic porting assembly (10) for a glass or glass ceramic reactor (100) includes a metallic connector member (12) having a metal aperture (120), and a glass member (13) having a glass aperture (130). The glass member (13) is positioned within the metal aperture (120), wherein the metallic connector member (12) has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the glass member (13) and wherein at least a portion of the glass member (13) is held within the metallic aperture of the metallic member by a fused glass-to-metal hermetic compression seal (14).

Claims

1. A hermetic porting assembly for a glass or glass ceramic micro reactor, the assembly comprising:

a metallic connector member having a metal aperture, and

a glass member having a glass aperture, the glass member positioned within the metal aperture, the metallic connector member having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the glass member and wherein at least a portion of the glass member is held within the metallic aperture of the metallic member by a fused glass-to-metal hermetic compression seal.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the metallic connector member comprises:

a receptacle portion having a flange surrounding the metal aperture to form a large opening; and

a stem portion having a small opening on an opposed end of the large opening.

3. The assembly of claim 2, further comprising a standard gas fitting for coupling with the stem portion of the metallic connector member.

4. The assembly of claim 2, further comprising a gas connector for coupling with the stem portion of the metallic connector member.

5. The assembly of claim 4, further comprising a vacuum source for coupling with the gas connector.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the metallic connector member is made from a metal alloy.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the glass member comprises a capillary glass tube fused to the glass aperture of a glass substrate.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the glass member comprises a hollow glass protrusion portion having an external surface pulled through the metal aperture to provide the fused glass-to-metal hermetic compression seal around a vacuumed puncture to form the glass aperture.

9. A method for compressively sealing a partially internally glass lined metal feed-through assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a metallic connector member having a flange surrounding a large opening and having a small opening on an opposed end of the large opening;

providing a glass member having a temperature coefficient expansion suitably matched to the temperature coefficient expansion of the metallic connector member;

positioning the glass member sufficiently near the large opening of the metallic connector member;

inductively heating the metallic connector member for internally heating together the metallic connector member and the glass member to the softening temperature of the glass member; and

controlling gas flow through the metallic connector member and the glass member while the glass member is closely adhered to the metallic member into one body, a relatively low compressive stress being imparted to the glass member by the metallic connector member during the cooling of the metallic connector member.

10. A compressively sealed partially internally glass lined metal porting assembly, comprising:

a metallic connector having a receptacle portion and a stem portion, the metallic connector made from a metal alloy having a melting point temperature;

a glass substrate having a hollow glass protrusion for positioning the protrusion near the receptacle portion of the metallic connector;

an induction heating coil surrounding the metallic connector for internally heating together the metallic connector and the glass protrusion to the softening temperature of the hollow glass protrusion matched to the temperature coefficient of the metallic connector; and

a vacuum source coupled to the stem portion of the metallic connector for sucking out atmosphere through the hollow glass protrusion to form a punctured hole in the glass protrusion while the rest of the hollow glass protrusion closely adheres to the metallic connection into one body under vacuum having, a relatively low compressive stress being imparted to the punctured glass protrusion by the metallic connector during the cooling of the metallic connector.