Evaluation of conductivity in W–Cu composites through the estimation of topological microstructures

Conductivities of composites composed of various W–W contiguities were predicted in simulated microstructures. The relative conductivities and LCu ratios in the simulated microstructures were calculated using a Voronoi diagram. As the W–W contiguity increased, the conductivity underwent a two-stage change, as a result of the change in the LCu ratio (the ratio of the Cu length to the total length of the electron conduction path) of the total conduction path with lowest resistivity. This indicated that the W–W contiguity, which resulted from the homogeneity of sintered microstructures, affected the electrical and thermal conductivities of the W–Cu composite materials.