WCU

WCU may stand for:

Copper–tungsten

Copper–tungsten (tungsten–copper, CuW, or WCu) alloy is a pseudo-alloy of copper and tungsten. As copper and tungsten are not mutually soluble, the material is composed of distinct particles of one metal dispersed in a matrix of the other one. The microstructure is therefore rather a metal matrix composite instead of a true alloy.

The material combines the properties of both metals, resulting in a material that is heat-resistant, ablation-resistant, highly thermally and electrically conductive, and easy to machine.

Parts are made from the CuW alloy by pressing the tungsten particles into a desired shape, sintering the compacted part, then infiltrating with molten copper. Sheets, rods and bars of the alloy are available as well.

Commonly used copper tungsten alloy contains 10–50 wt.% of copper, the remaining portion being mostly tungsten. The typical properties of the alloy depend on its composition. The alloy with less wt.% of copper has higher density, higher hardness and higher resistivity. The typical density of CuW90 alloy, with 10% of copper, is 16.75 g/cm³ and 11.85 g/cm³ for CuW50 alloy. CuW90 has higher hardness and resistivity of 260 HB kgf/mm² and 6.5 µΩ.cm than CuW50.