Tungsten Copper Alloy

Tungsten copper (copper tungsten, CuW, or WCu) alloy is pseudo-alloy of tungsten and copper. 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 one. The microstructure is therefore rather a metal matrix composite than a true alloy.

Copper tungsten alloy is the composite of tungsten and copper, which own the excellent performances of tungsten and copper, such as heat-resistant, ablate-resistant, high-intensity, excellent thermal and electrical conductivity. Tungsten copper alloy is easy to be machined. Tungsten copper alloy is used widely in such industries as engine, electrical power, electron, metallurgy, spaceflight and aviation. Using CIP formation, sintered tungsten skeleton and infiltrating copper (silver) technology, large size and special shape products of tungsten copper composites with 6-90 percent of copper are produced, such as electric contacts, electrode, refractory parts, heat sinks and parts of rocket, We can also produce tungsten copper alloy sheet material, tubing, plate and other small products by mould pressing, extrusion pressing and MIM.

Copper tungsten alloy 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.

Parts are made from the tungsten copper alloy by pressing the tungsten particles into a desired shape, sintering the compacted part, and then infiltrating with molten copper. Sheets, rods and bars of tungsten copper alloy are available as well.

Commonly used copper tungsten alloy contains 10 to 50 wt. % of copper, the remaining portion being substantially all 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 16.75g/cm3 and 11.85g/cm3 for CuW50 alloy. CuW90 has higher hardness and resistivity of 260 HB kgf/mm2 and 6.5 µΩ.cm than CuW50.