Method of manipulation functionally graded Tungsten-Copper composites

Tungsten-copper (W-Cu) composite is an important structural material and is widely used in the automotive industry, primarily as spot welding electrodes. The unique combination of the properties such high electrical conductivity of copper and high erosion resistance of tungsten make W-Cu an excellent candidate in many functional designs. It is also a metal matrix composite due to low solubility with each other and no intermetallic compounds exist. However, the manufacturing and processing complications of this composite pose impediments to widespread applications. This review article first investigate the importance of the spot welding in automotive industry, and then describe conventional spot welding elctrodes including W-Cu electrodes. At the end, common manufacturing processes particularly powder metallurgy for W-Cu composite are discussed.