High-temperature compression behavior of W–10 wt.%Cu composite

•W-10wt.%Cu composite was well produced by Cu infiltration on a PIMed porous W skeleton process.•Hot deformation behavior of W-10wt.%Cu composite was investigated through hot compression tests.•Hot deformation activation energy for W-10wt.%Cu composite was determined and its hot deformation equation was established.•Microstructures of W-10%Cu composite deformed at elevated temperatures were observed and analyzed.

Hot deformation behavior of tungsten–copper (W–Cu) composite at elevated temperature was investigated by hot-compression testing using a Gleeble 3500 thermo-mechanical simulator. W–10%Cu composite was fabricated by copper infiltration on porous tungsten skeleton (CIT) method. The porous tungsten skeleton was prepared by powder injection molding (PIM) process using tungsten powders and wax-polymer binder system. The hot deformation equations for W–10%Cu composite were determined through strain–stress relations at elevated temperatures, where the strain rate is related to static stress, deformation temperature and activation energy. The effects of deformation temperature and strain rate on the mechanical properties of W–10 wt.%Cu composite were investigated through flow strain–stress curves at elevated temperatures and its microstructures before and after deformation.

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