Effect of sintering temperature on fine-grained Cu-W composites with high copper

Fine-grained Cu(70-90%)-W composites were successfully produced using nano-scale Cu-W powders in vacuum condition. The sintering process of Cu-W composites is ascribed to the sintering interactions that occur both within the powders and between the powders. Microstructure analysis of the Cu-W composites showed that the big spherical and nano-sized tungsten particles were evenly embedded in the copper matrix. The Cu-W interface had a semi-coherent relation and displayed good contact. The relative density, hardness, electrical conductivity and W crystal size in the Cu-W composites increased when the sintering temperature rose from 1000 degrees C to 1090 degrees C. With elevating copper content, the hardness and the tungsten grain size of Cu W composites were found to decrease, but the relative density and electrical conductivity improved. The relation of the electro-conductivity, sintering temperature, and W crystal size of the Cu W composites was described with a regression formula.