The development of technologies for joining ceramics and metals is connected with an
introduction of new ceramic materials and new applications of ceramic-metal joints, to work in ever
more difficult conditions. It concerns mainly ceramic-metal joints working at high and variable
temperatures (a facing layer of burners, turbine vanes, etc.) or in a chemically aggressive
environment (chemical apparatuses, purification plants). This paper presents the analysis of the
influence of the bonding technique on thermal residual stresses generated in ceramic-metal joints
and their properties. Technological bonding tests were made using well-known diffusion bonding
and powder metallization techniques, and with elaborated sintered Al2O3-Cr gradient interlayer.
Numerical calculations (the finite elements method) of the state of thermal residual stresses, as well
as the verifying technological tests, were made for the following pair of materials: Al2O3 ceramics -
heat resisting steel. There were also made tests of resistance for sudden temperature changes and for
oxidation at high temperature. There was found a significant effect of the bonding techniques on the
thermal residual stresses and properties of obtained alumina-steel joints.