Technical Ceramics
Security and Defence
Morgan Technical Ceramics has provided precision-engineered materials, components and assemblies to meet the stringent requirements of the international defence and security market for more than 50 years.
Get a quoteSecurity and Defence Products
From night vision systems to surveillance and communication equipment, our superior materials technology and impressive manufacturing capability deliver real performance benefits in the field.
Night Vision Components
Image intensifier tubes (photocathode tubes)
Oxygen free high thermal conductivity (OFHC) copper braze alloys for hermetic vacuum assemblies
RF Transparent Windows
Brazed assemblies with sapphire or alumina windows for signal transmission
Signal Amplification Components
Custom klystrons
Custom magnetrons
Metallised ceramic reflector tubes
Travelling wave tube
Vacuum grade braze alloys for making hermetic ultra-high vacuum assemblies
X-ray Tube Components for Luggage, Container Inspection at Ports (airport, ships, borders)
Cathode or filament holder/assembly
Insulators with optional Charge-Dissipative Coatings
Vacuum grade braze alloys for making hermetic ultra-high vacuum assemblies
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Security and Defence Materials
Our advanced ceramic materials offer superior dimensional stability, strength, stiffness and chemical resistance across a wide range of temperatures. Our material range includes:
- Alumina
- Aluminium nitride
- Braze alloys preforms
- CD (charge dissipative) alumina
- Ceramic-to-metal assemblies
- MACOR® (machinable glass ceramics)
- Metallised ceramics
Security and Defence Applications
Our offering is suited to applications such as soldier protection, armoured vehicle protection, X-ray scanning equipment, electronic devices.
- Airport and seaport luggage and container screeners
- Border security vehicle and container screeners
- Electronic countermeasures
- High energy physics research
- Microwave signal transmission
- Night vision systems/goggles
- Radar
- Satellite communications
- UHF signal transmission
Security and Defence Ceramics Questions
Why are ceramic materials used in x-ray tubes for imaging (e.g. cargo imaging)?
To generate x-rays sufficient to image the interior of a cargo container, high voltage power must be supplied to the x-ray tube while maintaining a vacuum within the tube. To transmit this energy while also electrically and thermally isolating this transfer to protect surrounding portions of the tube, high-dielectric, high thermal resistance, and thermal insulating properties of ceramics are required. Morgan's ceramics are engineered to have multiple metal conductors feed through the ceramics using precious metal braze alloys to create a hermetic bond between the metal conductors and the ceramic. This brazed joint maintains the hermetic seal in the ultra-high vacuum environment at elevated temperatures and high voltage.
Why is ceramic material used in satellite communications?
Satellites rely upon Travelling Wave Tubes (TWT) to amplify weak signals received from the earth into strong signals before sending the signal back to the earth. Because satellite hardware must be reliable for a long time under continuous use in an ultra-high vacuum environment, electrical discharges that could damage the satellite must be prevented.
This requires electrical insulator assemblies within the electron gun and collectors within the TWT to be very high-purity, and the electrically insulating portion to have a very-high and reliable margin of voltage resistivity as well. Morgan’s ceramics and proprietary metallisation processes when combined with Morgan’s high-purity braze alloys provide for reliable hermetically sealed assemblies meeting these critical reliability applications in Space.
What are the benefits of using ceramic materials in night vision systems?
Night vision systems rely upon imagine intensifier tubes which, among other elements, consist of:
- an ambient light input lens
- a vacuum-tight tube that provides electrostatic fields of increasing electrical potential along its length to direct and accelerate the input electrons to
- the light signal output device
Metallised ceramics are used for the intensifier tube, or portions of the tube, because the ceramic provides both the electrical isolation and extreme tight-tolerances needed to maintain the effectiveness of the electrical field, and the metallised ceramic preserves the image quality by creating vacuum-tight joints.
Why Ceramics?
Our world-class design expertise and specialist manufacturing capabilities allow us to work in partnership with our military and security customers to develop competitive tailored solutions to meet their needs. Our ceramic components and brazed assemblies are produced to tight specifications, in quantities from one-offs to very high-quality volume production.