I. Introduction to Tungsten-Copper Alloy
Tungsten-copper alloy is a high-performance composite material that combines the advantages of tungsten and copper, offering broad industrial application prospects. Tungsten has a melting point of 3410°C and a density of 19.34 g/cm³, exhibiting extremely high temperature resistance and strength. In comparison, copper has a melting point of 1080°C and a density of 8.89 g/cm³, offering excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. These properties make tungsten-copper alloy a key component in various high-end manufacturing fields.
Tungsten-copper alloys generally range from WCu7 to WCu50 in composition, boasting a uniform microstructure and possessing properties such as high temperature resistance, high strength, and arc erosion resistance, while also exhibiting moderate electrical and thermal conductivity. This comprehensive performance makes tungsten-copper alloys widely used in industries such as military, aerospace, electronics, power generation, metallurgy, and machinery.
II. Key Properties of Tungsten-Copper Alloy
1. High Melting Point and High Strength
Tungsten’s high melting point (3410°C) and high density (19.34 g/cm³) give tungsten-copper alloy exceptional stability and strength in high-temperature and high-pressure environments. This makes tungsten-copper alloy excellent in applications under extreme conditions, such as aerospace and the nuclear industry.
2. Excellent Electrical and Thermal Conductivity
Copper’s superior electrical and thermal conductivity, combined with tungsten’s high-temperature stability, gives tungsten-copper alloy excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. It is suitable for use as electrodes in electrical discharge machining (EDM), electrical alloys for high-voltage switches, and electronic packaging materials.
3. Arc Erosion Resistance
Tungsten-copper alloy exhibits excellent erosion resistance under high-temperature arc conditions, making it commonly used in electrode materials and high-temperature switch components. This property makes it a key component in the electrical and electronics industries.
III. Applications of Tungsten-Copper Alloy
Military High-Temperature Resistant Materials: Due to its high melting point and high strength, tungsten-copper alloy is widely used as a high-temperature resistant material in military equipment.
Electrical alloys for high-voltage switches: Their excellent electrical and thermal conductivity make them an ideal material for key components in high-voltage switches and circuit breakers.
Electromechanical machining electrodes: Tungsten-copper alloys perform exceptionally well as electrode materials in electrospark machining (EDM), effectively handling high-temperature and high-pressure environments.
Microelectronics materials: Tungsten-copper alloys are used in microelectronics as chip packaging and heat dissipation materials, ensuring efficient operation of electronic devices.
Aerospace, aviation, electronics, power, metallurgy, machinery, sports equipment, and other industries: Tungsten-copper alloys are widely used as components and parts in these industries, improving product performance and reliability.
4. Chemical composition and physical and mechanical properties of copper-tungsten alloys
The composition and properties of tungsten-copper alloys vary depending on the specific application. The following are several common copper-tungsten alloys and their properties:
Copper-tungsten (50) – CuW(50)
Composition: 50% tungsten, 50% copper
Physical properties: Density is about 13.85 g/cm³
Mechanical properties: Hardness is about HB 180
Application: EDM electrodes, high-temperature electrode materials.
Copper-tungsten (55) – CuW(55)
Composition: 55% tungsten, 45% copper
Physical properties: Density is about 14.7 g/cm³
Mechanical properties: Hardness is about HB 200
Application: Arc welding and resistance welding electrodes.
Copper-tungsten (60) – CuW(60)
Composition: 60% tungsten, 40% copper
Physical properties: Density is about 15.6 g/cm³
Mechanical properties: Hardness is about HB 230
Application: High-voltage switches, electronic packaging and heat dissipation materials.
Copper tungsten (70) – CuW(70)
Composition: 70% tungsten, 30% copper
Physical properties: Density about 16.7 g/cm³
Mechanical properties: Hardness about HB 260
Application: Microelectronic materials, welding electrodes and thermal management materials.
Copper tungsten (75) – CuW(75)
Composition: 75% tungsten, 25% copper
Physical properties: Density about 17.2 g/cm³
Mechanical properties: Hardness about HB 270
Application: Military high-temperature resistant materials and high-voltage switch electrical alloys.
V. Market prospects of tungsten-copper alloy
With the advancement of science and technology and the increase in industrial demand, the application prospects of tungsten-copper alloy in Shanghai are broad. Especially in high-end manufacturing industries such as aerospace, aviation, electronics and electricity, the demand for tungsten-copper alloy will continue to grow. Shanghai enterprises and scientific research institutions should strengthen cooperation to promote the research and development of new tungsten-copper alloy materials and the application of innovative processes to improve product quality and competitiveness.
VI. Future Development Recommendations
New Material Research and Development: Integrate nanotechnology and alloy composite technology to enhance the performance of tungsten-copper alloys and meet more demanding application requirements.
Precision Machining Technology: Develop efficient machining and forming processes to meet market demands for high precision and quality.
Environmental Protection and Recycling: Research recycling and reuse technologies for tungsten-copper materials to improve resource utilization efficiency and achieve sustainable development.
Overall, tungsten-copper alloys, as high-performance composite materials, have broad application prospects and market demand. By strengthening collaboration between businesses and research institutions to promote the development of the tungsten-copper alloy field, FOTMA will provide strong material support for high-end manufacturing, contributing to scientific and technological advancement and economic development. FOTMA, a specialist in heat sink materials, specializes in precision machining products, focusing on solving chip heat dissipation and packaging issues. As a high-tech company integrating material R&D, production, and electroplating, our capabilities are both domestically leading and internationally advanced. Our core team boasts over 30 years of accumulated expertise in materials research, ensuring unparalleled competitiveness in both domestic and international markets. Our comprehensive product range of high-end microelectronics packaging heat sinks, custom-designed and meticulously crafted for our customers, is widely used in microwave, radio frequency, infrared, laser, and integrated circuit applications. We also produce copper pin/plate heat sinks for IGBT heat sinks, Kovar stampings, copper stampings, and aluminum parts. With strong stamping, forging, and machining capabilities, our products are widely used in power device packaging, 5G base station antennas, IGBT heat sinks, and other electronic and power applications. The company places great emphasis on scientific and technological innovation and R&D, continuously promoting the expansion of products and processes into new fields and new application scenarios, and providing high-quality, efficient, customized services based on customer needs.
Post time: Sep-26-2025