Fabrication and properties of W–20Cu alloy reinforced by titanium coated carbon fibers

Carbon fibers were coated with titanium by vacuum slow vapor deposition. W–20Cu composite powder was prepared by spray drying and calcining-continuous reduction technology. Titanium coated carbon fibers and W–20Cu composite powder were mixed by ball-milling in ethanol solution. This paper adopted spark plasma sintering process to prepare titanium coated carbon fibers/W–20Cu composites. Effects of doping amounts of titanium coated carbon fibers on the phases, microstructure and properties of the composites were investigated. Titanium coated carbon fibers/W–20Cu composites with improved mechanical properties and thermal conductivity were fabricated. Transverse rupture strength and thermal conductivity of the 1.0 wt.% titanium-coated carbon fibers/W–20Cu composites, compared with the monolithic W–20Cu alloy, were enhanced 33% and 36%, respectively. With small doping amount of titanium-coated carbon fibers, the composites without WC, W2C and graphite phases were obtained.