Tungsten copper (W-Cu) composites, as a traditional refractory material, are promising materials for manufacture of electrical contacts and electrodes, heavy duty electronic contacts, welding and electro-forging dies, heat sinks, packaging material, arcing resistance electrodes and thermal management devices owing to their excellent properties. This critical review presents and discusses the current progress of W-Cu composites. Starting with an introduction of the synthesis methods for W-Cu composites, including the conventional and modern preparation approaches. After that we focus on the description of the improvement of mechanical properties and arc-erosion properties by modification techniques. Finally, the advantages of W-Cu composites in applications such as electrical contacts, electronic packaging materials, and heat sinks, as well as military materials, are described, respectively.

Recent progress in development of tungsten-copper composites: Fabrication, modification and applications

Direct diffusion bonding of immiscible tungsten and copper at temperature close to Copper's melting point

Processing, characterization and properties of copper-based composites strengthened by low amount of alumina particles

Mechanical Alloying of Immiscible Metallic Systems: Process, Microstructure, and Mechanism

In order to achieve rapid manufacturing of tungsten-copper alloy part, copper alloy parts (CuW, CuSn, CuP, with mass ratio of 1:2:2) were manufactured by selective laser melting (SLM), and the influence of different energy input was investigated. The methodology of separating part model was adopted to overcome the manufacturing defects that was caused by the scanning strategy. The results shown that the thicknesses of the thin walls gained by SLM vary from 123 to 276 μm with the laser power varying from 100 to 120 W and the scanning speed of 200 to 700 mm/s. The compartment walls obtained through separating part model were of uniform thicknesses and nonclogging pores. It provides a feasible method for manufacturing precise parts containing tungsten and mass manufacturing of precise microcomponents by the SLM process.

Study on manufacturing of W-Cu alloy thin wall parts by selective laser melting

Microstructures and formation mechanism of W–Cu composite coatings on copper substrate prepared by mechanical alloying method

Effects of Cu content and mechanical alloying parameters on the preparation of W–Cu composite coatings on copper substrate

Microstructures and properties of W–Cu functionally graded composite coatings on copper substrate via high-energy mechanical alloying method

In this work, an attempt has been made to reveal critical factors dominating the crystallization and soft magnetic properties of Fe81Si
 x
 B10P8−xCu1 (x = 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8) alloys. Both melt spun and annealed alloys are characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffractometry, Mossbauer spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and magnetometry. The changes in magnetic interaction between Fe atoms and chemical homogeneity can well explain the variation of magnetic properties of Fe81Si
 x
 B10P8−xCu1 amorphous alloys. The density of nucleation sites in the amorphous precursors decreases in the substitution of P by Si. Meanwhile, the precipitated nanograins gradually coarsen, but the inhibiting effect of P on grain growth diminishes causing the increase of the crystallinity. Moreover, various site occupancies of Si are observed in the nanocrystallites and the Si occupancy in bcc Fe decreases the average magnetic moment of nanograins. Without sacrificing amorphous forming ability, we can obtain FeSiBPCu nanocrystalline alloy with excellent soft magnetic properties by optimizing the content of Si and P in the amorphous precursors.

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Y. Meng

Papers

Microstructures and formation mechanism of W–Cu composite coatings on copper substrate prepared by mechanical alloying method

Effects of Cu content and mechanical alloying parameters on the preparation of W–Cu composite coatings on copper substrate

Microstructures and properties of W–Cu functionally graded composite coatings on copper substrate via high-energy mechanical alloying method

Local structure, nucleation sites and crystallization behavior and their effects on magnetic properties of Fe 81 Si x B 10 P 8−x Cu 1 ( x = 0~8)

Evolution of structural and magnetic properties of the FeCuBP amorphous alloy during annealing