The effect of trace amount of Ti and W on the powder metallurgy process of Cu

The influence of trace elements on the powder metallurgy of Cu was investigated. It was found that 1 wt. % of Ti can effectively increase the green density of the compacts and facilitate the subsequent sintering process, thus resulting in increased sintered density. Although 1 wt. % of W added into the Cu leads to similar increasing of green density, W significantly retarded the sintering process and has a negative effect on the sintered density. Moreover, intermetallic Cu4Ti were formed, which not only creates a short-circuit diffusion path for Cu but also forms liquid phases during sintering. However, it was hardly dissolved between W and Cu.