Enhanced mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of W-30Cu composite fabricated with monodisperse and nearly spherical W powder

Abstract

In this study, the W-30Cu composite was fabricated by infiltration using monodisperse and nearly spherical W powder, which was prepared via jet milling. Compared with the conventional W-30Cu composite, the microstructure homogeneity of the as-prepared W-30Cu composite has been dramatically improved, and the W-W contiguity and variable coefficient of W grain size are as low as 0.324 and 0.28, respectively. Hence, in both tensile and compressive test, the as-prepared W-30Cu composite exhibits higher strength and ductility. The uniform microstructure also enhances the thermal conductivity of the W-Cu composites at all temperatures. At room temperature, the thermal conductivity of the as-prepared W-30Cu composite is 256.7 W·m−1·K−1, reaching 96.9% of the theoretical value.