How is copper tungsten made?

Copper tungsten is typically made through a process called infiltration. In this process, tungsten powder is mixed with a binder material to form a green body. The compact is then sintered to form a porous tungsten skeleton. The porous tungsten skeleton is then infiltrated with molten copper under high temperature and pressure. Copper fills the pores of the tungsten skeleton to form a composite material that has the properties of both tungsten and copper.

The infiltration process can produce copper tungsten with different compositions and properties, making it suitable for a wide range of applications such as electrical contacts, electrodes and heat sinks.

Copper-tungsten is used in a variety of applications due to its unique combination of properties. Some common uses include:

1. Electrical contacts: Copper tungsten is commonly used in electrical contacts for high voltage and high current applications due to its excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, as well as arc resistance and wear resistance.

2. Electrode: Due to its high melting point, good thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance, it is used in resistance welding electrodes, EDM (electrical discharge machining) electrodes, and other electrical and thermal applications.

3. Aerospace and Defense: Tungsten copper is used in the aerospace and defense industry for rocket nozzles, electrical contacts in aircraft, and other components that require high strength, wear resistance, and thermal conductivity.

4. Heat sink: Used as a heat sink for electronic equipment due to its high thermal conductivity and dimensional stability.

Tungsten is highly resistant to rust and corrosion. Because of its inertness, tungsten will not oxidize or rust under normal conditions. This property makes tungsten a valuable material in applications where corrosion resistance is critical.

Tungsten copper is known for its high hardness. The hardness of tungsten copper can vary depending on the specific composition and processing conditions, but in general, it is much harder than pure copper due to the presence of tungsten. This property makes tungsten copper suitable for applications where wear resistance and durability are important. The hardness of tungsten copper makes it ideal for use in electrical contacts, electrodes, and other components that need to be resistant to wear.