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Arc erosion property and mechanism of tungsten–copper alloy with multi-scale tungsten particles

  • Metals & corrosion
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Abstract

In this work, tungsten–copper (W–Cu) alloy with multi-scale tungsten phase was prepared by cold isostatic pressing, vacuum sintering and hot extrusion processes. The microstructure of W-70Cu alloy was examined by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The arc erosion resistance of W-70Cu alloy was studied in the JF04C electrical contact testing system. The erosion morphology of the contact surface was characterized. The action mechanism of tungsten particles in arc erosion process was discussed in detail. The arc erosion property and mechanism of W-70Cu alloy were analyzed. The results show that the material transfer occurs from the cathode to the anode. With enhancing the current and voltage, the arcing time and arcing energy increase while the contact resistance falls slightly. In the arc erosion process, tungsten particles increase the work function of W–Cu alloy and make the arc disperse better. The large tungsten particles in W–Cu contact can help to maintain the shape of the contact and delay the occurrence of fusion welding. Tungsten nano-particles enhance the viscosity of the molten pool, reduce metal splashing, and hinder the crack initiation and propagation. Under the action of multi-scale tungsten particles, W–Cu alloy has the better resistance to arc erosion.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by Program for Science & Technology Innovation Talents in the University of Henan Province Grant(22HASTIT1006), Key Technology Research and Development Program of Henan Province( 232102231024, 222102230114), and the Research Fund of Henan Key Laboratory of Materials on Deep-Earth Engineering Grant(MDE2020-04), Henan Polytechnic University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Material Science and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, Henan, China

    Xiran Wang, Hua Yu, Huigai Wang & Xinna Cao

  2. National Joint Engineering Research Center for Abrasion Control and Molding of Metal Material, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471003, Henan, China

    Xiran Wang, Cheng Zhang, Liujie Xu, Lu Yang & Kunming Pan

  3. Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, 450000, Henan, China

    Shizhong Wei

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  1. Xiran Wang
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  3. Cheng Zhang
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Contributions

All authors made equal contributions to researching data, discussion, and analysis of the content of the manuscript. XW contributed to writing—original draft, investigation, visualization, data curation, formal analysis, and funding acquisition. SW and CZ contributed to conceptualization, supervision, and writing—review and editing. LX and HY contributed to methodology, resources, and investigation. LY, KP, and HW contributed to validation and funding acquisition. XC contributed to data curation and visualization.

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Correspondence to Shizhong Wei.

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Wang, X., Wei, S., Zhang, C. et al. Arc erosion property and mechanism of tungsten–copper alloy with multi-scale tungsten particles. J Mater Sci 59, 1635–1651 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-023-09177-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-023-09177-w

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