Chemical bonding of ultra low expansion glass substrates with aqueous NaOH solution

We report on our research towards determining a reliable and reproducible method of bonding ULE® components for space-based instruments. Such bonded components are required to withstand considerable accelerations during launch and can be exposed to significant temperature variations. The results of tensile and shear testing of a large number of bonded samples are reported, as well as the impact of thermal cycling on bond strength. A study on the feasibility of de-bonding and re-bonding ULE parts is also described.