Fabrication and properties of W–Cu alloy reinforced by multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) coated with copper by electroless plating and W–Cu powder fabricated by mechanical alloying were mixed by ball-milling in ethanol solution. MWCNTs/W–Cu composites with improved mechanical properties and thermal conductivity were fabricated by hot-pressing sintering process at temperature 1400 °C under a pressure of 30 MPa for 2 h in pure Ar atmosphere. Effects of doping amounts of Cu-coated MWCNTs on the density, microstructure, thermal conductivity and mechanical properties were investigated. The bending strength and thermal conductivity of the 0.4 wt.% MWCNTs/W–Cu composites, compared with the monolithic W–Cu alloy, were enhanced 8.8% and 27.8%, respectively.