Where can I find affordable conductive paste for vacuum environments?

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An accelerator application requires a conductive paste that can withstand vacuum conditions without outgassing, with a budget of under $20 per gram. The paste will be used on an RF-energized electrode, primarily to smooth joints made from multiple pieces. While copper and silver pastes were considered, concerns about their outgassing properties were raised. Suggestions included exploring soldering as a more effective and cost-efficient solution, as well as looking into space-compatible conductive epoxies. The choice of material will ultimately depend on the required conductivity and specific outgassing specifications at varying temperatures.
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For an accelerator application I need some paste that can conduct electricity decently, but will also not outgas under a vacuum and have a cost of under, say, $20 per gram. It doesn't matter if the paste solidifies or remains malleable.

I have thought of copper and silver paste but not sure about their outgassing characteristics.

Thanks!
 
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What is the paste being used for? Grounding? Shielding?
 
It will be applied to an electrode that is energized with RF. The purpose of the paste would be to smooth over the joint because the electrode will be made in pieces and runs the length of the accelerator as in an RFQ linac.
 
I'm not sure a paste is your best bet, and I don't know of any vacuum-compatible electrically conductive pastes. Have you considered soldering the joints?
 
Mech_Engineer said:
I'm not sure a paste is your best bet, and I don't know of any vacuum-compatible electrically conductive pastes. Have you considered soldering the joints?

No, but now that you mention it that seems blatantly obvious. Cheap too. Thanks!
 
You might also try and find a space compatible conductive epoxy. A lot depends on what conductivity you require and outgassing spec's .vs. temperature.
 

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