Fabrication and Properties of W-SiCP/Cu Composites by Hot Pressing Sintering

A new ternary composite of W-SiCP/Cu(40vol%) was designed and prepared by low-temperature hot-press sintering. The micro-structural characterizations were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microstructure (SEM), coefficient of thermal expansion is measured. When sintered at 950°C-100MPa-2h, the relative density of the W-SiCP/Cu composites as a function of W content all exceeded 97%. Due to the plastic deformation of Cu, higher densification W-SiCP/Cu(40vol%) composites can be achieved at a relatively low temperature. The composites are characterized by the relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion, bending strength and hardness. The values of thermal expansion indicate that thermal expansion can be precisely controlled by adding SiC particles.