Fabrication of Mo-Cu composite powders by heterogeneous precipitation and the sintering properties of the composite compacts

Mo-Cu composite powders with a core-shell structure were fabricated by heterogeneous precipitation and reduction process. The sintering behavior of the composite powders and the sintering properties of the composite compacts were investigated. It was found that the Mo-Cu powders exhibit good sinterability. Relative density of 97.02% was achieved for the specimen sintered at 1150 °C for 2 h. Furthermore, the hardness, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity of the Mo-Cu specimens sintered at 1150 °C are 191.1 HV, 27.00 MS/m and 188.64 Wm−1 K−1, respectively. The excellent properties are attributed to the microstructure that almost every Mo particle is capsulated by continuous network structure of Cu.