Tungsten Copper

Tungsten-Copper (W-Cu) is a composite material with a heterogeneous structure. The base material is typically produced by pressing and sintering tungsten powder. The remaining pores are sealed by impregnation with liquid copper. Additionally, the production of W-Cu can also be carried out through liquid-phase sintering.

Depending on the grain size of the tungsten powder and the pressing and sintering parameters, various ratios of tungsten and copper can be selected. Tungsten-Copper combines many typical properties of the individual elements, such as the hardness, wear resistance, and arc erosion resistance of tungsten, along with the excellent electrical and thermal conductivity of copper.

Tungsten-Copper is used in applications such as EDM electrodes, heat sinks, electrical contacts, medium- and high-voltage breakers, welding electrodes (resistance welding), balancing weights, and more.

50/50

60/40

70/30

75/25

80/20

90/10

 

Class A

Class B Class C Class D Class E

Chemical Composition

Copper (Cu)

50±2

40±2

30±2

25±2

20±2

10±2

Tungsten (W)

Rest

Rest

Rest

Rest

Rest

Rest

Additives (max. %)

1

1

1

1

1

1

Physical Properties

Density (g/cm3)

11,7

12,7

13,7

14,3

15,0

16,5

Electrical Conductivity (% IACS)*

56-64

49-57

44-52

41-48

38-45

<30

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion [10−6 K-1]

13,0

11,9

10,3

9,5

8,8

<7,5

Thermal Conductivity (W/m * K-1]

200

190

180

170

Mechanical Properties

Hardness [HRB]

69-83

77-90

85-98

89-102

94-106

E-modulus [GPa]

220

260

280

290

Tensile Strength

344-413

379-448

516-585

585-654

620-689

700

Machining

CNC turning and milling operations are performed using tungsten carbide tools (hard metal). The machining properties are excellent. Compared to various copper alloys, there are no deformations due to the high hardness and high elastic modulus. A very high surface quality can be achieved with virtually burr- and notch-free edges.

ASTM Standard Specifications

  • ASTM B702 (Copper-Tungsten Electrical Contact Material)

Typical Properties

  • Good machinability
  • High density
  • Excellent dimensional stability
  • Low coefficient of thermal expansion
  • High surface quality
  • High wear resistance
  • High thermal conductivity
  • High arc erosion resistance



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