Enhanced mechanical and electrical properties of CuCrZr-WC alloy prepared by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering

•CuCrZr alloy with 3 wt.% WC were prepared by MA-SPS method.•The interfaces between WC nanoparticles and interface were systematically studied.•The ZrC-W2C-WC core-shell particles are observed in the CuCrZr-WC alloy. In current work, CuCrZr alloy with 3 wt.% WC were prepared by MA-SPS method. SEM, TEM, XRD, electrical and mechanical testing were used to characterize the microstructure and performance of composite materials. The interfaces between WC nanoparticles and Cu matrix were systematically studied. The results show that the addition of WC lead to a great improvement on yield and ultimate tensile strength, with the cost of slightly decreased of plasticity and conductivity. The particles with ZrC-W2C-WC core-shell particles were observed in the Cu matrix, which improve the interface between the matrix and the WC particles. The formation of ZrC-W2C-WC core-shell structure was explained using Kirkendall effect and the effects of this core-shell structure on mechanical and electrical conductivity were discussed.