On sintering of W-Cu composite alloys

The sintered behavior of W-Cu composites is influenced by the copper content, the sintering temperature, the tungsten particle size and mainly the dispersion of the copper and tungsten phases. High sintered densities are obtained if the copper phase is well dispersed and fine tungsten is used. Powder consisting of composite particles, obtained by long time miling, Exhibit high sinterability, and high final densities can be reached even for short sintering times and low copper content. Alloys of different times, are prepared. The sintered behavior is characterized by the evolution of the structure and dilatometric measurements. The sintering kinetics is described and the influence of the dispersion of the powder is analyzed. (author)