Bonded ceramic-metal article

A new and improved bonded ceramic-metal article and the method of making the article is described. The ceramic-metal article comprises a ceramic article, such as a lanthana-strengthened yttria article, bonded to a metal article, such as niobium, by a layer of a brazing material to form a bonded ceramic-metal article. The method of bonding the ceramic article to the metal article comprises placing the brazing alloy, such as a brazing alloy consisting essentially of 63% by weight silver, 35.25% by weight copper, and 1.75% by weight titanium, between the lanthana-strengthened yttria article and the niobium article and heating the layered structure in vacuum at about 50 degrees centigrade above the liquidus temperature of the brazing alloy for a period of about 5 minutes. Another method of bonding the ceramic article comprises coating a surface of the lanthana-strengthened yttria article with a group IVB metal, such as titanium, hafnium, and zirconium then placing a different brazing alloy, such as a brazing alloy consisting essentially of 72% by weight silver and 28% by weight copper or a brazing alloy consisting essentially of 82% by weight gold and 18% by weight nickel, between the coated lanthana-strengthened yttria article and the niobium article and heating the layered structure in vacuum at about 50 degrees centigrade above the liquidus temperature of the brazing alloy for a period of about 5 minutes.