Tungsten-Copper (WCu)1

Tungsten-Copper (WCu)1

Tungsten-Copper (WCu)
Tungsten-Copper alloy is a pseudo-alloy of Copper and the refractory metal Tungsten. As Copper and Tungsten 
are not mutually soluble, the material is composed of distinct particles of one metal dispersed in a matrix of 
the other. Therefore, the microstructure is a metal matrix composite rather than a true alloy. It combines the 
properties of both metals, resulting in a material that is heat-resistant, ablation-resistant, highly thermally and electrically conductive, and easy to machine. It is also resistant to arc erosion, mechanical wear, and contact welding. Parts are made from the WCu alloy by pressing the Tungsten particles into a desired shape, sintering the compacted part, then infiltrating with molten Copper.Commonly used Tungsten-Copper alloy contains 10–50 wt.% of Copper, the remaining portion being mostly Tungsten. The typical properties of the alloy depend on its composition. The alloy with less wt.% of Copper has higher density, higher hardness and higher resistivity. The typical density of CuW90 alloy, with 10% of copper, is 16.75 g/cm3 and 11.85 g/cm3 for CuW50 alloy. CuW90 has higher hardness and resistivity of 260 HB kgf/mm2 and 6.5 µΩ.cm than CuW50.