Solid Sealing Technology’s Helical Ceramic Plasma Breaks provide superior electrical isolation, plasma resistance, and thermal stability in the most demanding vacuum and high-voltage environments. The unique helical geometry increases the distance traveled by the gas passing through the break, enabling the gas to spend more time in the high-voltage field while remaining within a compact design.
Each plasma break is built using alumina ceramic and hermetic metal-to-ceramic sealing, ensuring exceptional mechanical strength, vacuum integrity, and contamination control. SST parts are ideal for mission-critical systems where uptime and reliability are essential.
Core Advantages
- Longer Gas Travel Path: Accomplished by a helical pathway through the break
- Thermal & Mechanical Stability: Uniform heat distribution and stress resistance under cycling
- Compact, High-Performance Design: Maximizes isolation in space-constrained systems
- Plasma & Contamination Resistance: Shields conductive surfaces from line-of-sight erosion
- Long-Term Reliability: Hermetic sealing and durable ceramics for long-term operation
Why Helical Ceramics are Preferable to Ceramic Beads
- Predictable Electrical and Plasma Behavior
- A ceramic with customized internal geometry like helical grooves, ribs, or a shaped channel gives well-controlled dielectric surfaces and known secondary-electron emission (SEE) and sheath behavior. Hall thruster physics are very sensitive to wall material, SEE, and channel geometry, so predictable surfaces are important.
- Thermal Performance and Outgassing
- A part can be designed for thermal conductivity and to avoid the gas trapping problems that porous or loose-packed beads can cause. Studies show ceramic porosity affects discharge ignition and anode efficiency.
- Manufacturability and Less Trapped Gas
- SST parts use custom ceramics and a single helical pathway as opposed to loose beads which can trap gas.
Using a custom ceramic channel with the desired internal geometry (like helical grooves, ribs, or segmented walls) improves predictability, lifetime, and manufacturability.
SST offers high-performing helical ceramic plasma breaks that can be viewed in our catalog. Contact us today to learn more about our available products and customization options.