Laser 3D printing of W-Cu composite

Tungsten-Copper (W-Cu) composites are promising materials for electrical and thermal applications. However, its fabrication method still remains limited in conventional techniques, such as powder metallurgy, which are not suitable for manufacturing densified complex W-Cu components. In this work, laser 3D printing technology was introduced for fabricating W-20 wt% Cu composites. The effect of processing parameters on the macroscopic features and microstructures of W-Cu composite was investigated. Through optimizing the process parameters, a W-Cu composite with good surface quality and homogeneous microstructure was successfully fabricated under the laser power of 2000 W and laser scan speed of 360 mm/min.