Solid-phase synthesis of cupric tungstate

The high degree of mixing of W and Cu phases in copper tungstates makes them an attractive source for manufacturing W-Cu composite powders. Hydrogen reduction of copper tungstates provides composite W-Cu powder products with a uniform, homogeneous dispersion of the metal phases. This paper presents test results for a variety of solid-phase reactions to synthesize cupric tungstate (CuWO4). Hydrated, dehydrated, and complex oxides of tungsten and copper have been used as solid reactants. With stoichiometric ratios of reactants, synthesis in air at 800 degreesC produced 96% to 100% conversion to CuWO4. Heterogeneous synthesis of CuWO4 with the participation of three solid phases (S-1 + S-2 --> S-3) required the simplest, most inexpensive equipment. The end product properties of synthesized CuWO4 could be controlled by the proper choice of reactants.