Rapid fabrication of W–Cu composites via low-temperature infiltration in supergravity fields

Herein, we propose a novel method for fabricating tungsten–copper (W–Cu) composites via a supergravity technique that mainly consists of three steps: briquetting, sintering, and supergravity-enhanced infiltration. Through this approach, W–20 wt% Cu composites with a homogeneous microstructure and fascinating properties were successfully fabricated in only 5 min at a relatively low temperature of 1150 °C. The effects of the gravity coefficient, centrifugation time, and infiltration atmosphere on the infiltration process and quality of the composites were investigated individually, and the relevant optimized parameters were determined. The infiltration mechanism in supergravity fields was also discussed in detail. As a result, it is discovered that the penetration of the liquid copper into the porous tungsten skeleton was significantly accelerated in supergravity fields. Full infiltration was obtained in a short time of 5 min when the gravity coefficient was over 500. An increase in the gravity coefficient effectively improved the densities, hardness values, and thermal conductivities of the obtained W–Cu composites. Overall, we believe that our findings can assist the development of high-quality W–Cu composites that can be useful for various applications.