PREPARATION OF W-Cu COMPOSITES BY INFILTRATION OF W SKELETONS - REVIEW

Tungsten-copper composites feature high corrosion and erosion resistance, very good thermal and electrical conductivity, low thermal expansion and good mechanical properties. They are used in a variety of demanding applications, such as arc-resistant electrodes, high voltage electrical contacts, heat sinks for integrated circuits, etc. They are also foreseen for use in plasma-facing components of fusion reactors, e.g. as a transition layer between the (refractory) plasma-facing tungsten and the (highly conductive) copper-based cooling structure. In general, high density and good bonding of the tungsten and copper phases is desired. Molten copper infiltration into tungsten preforms is among the prospective fabrication technologies; the structure and properties of the resultant composites are dependent on the specific technological parameters. In this paper, the preparation of W-Cu composites by infiltration of W skeletons is reviewed and attention is paid to the influence of these particular parameters: infiltration temperature, time and atmosphere, tungsten preform porosity, orientation and chemistry (presence or absence of other elements). Optimum parameter combinations for achieving high density and proper bonding of copper and tungsten are identified.