A two-stepped coating-sintering process to prepare the qualified Ni-Ti transition applied in metal-ceramic bonding proved to be effective to improve the wetting abilities. The method was introduced in detail and compared with 2 control groups. To analyze the benefits, the morphology and composition were captured by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The comparisons of different coating depths and different sintering conditions were also recorded and analyzed. The influence of the EDS detecting depth was a concern in the discussions. Finally, the contact angle tests and surface energies were also estimated to verify the reliability of the transition layer. The results indicated that the coating-sintering process combined with protective sintering was preferred and necessary to increase the activeness.
Keywords: contact angle; metal-ceramic bonding; sintering; surface modification; wetting.