Process for making improved copper/tungsten composites

A process for producing a composite containing copper and a transition metal, said process comprising sintering a compact of copper-containing particles and transition metal-containing particles in a reducing atmosphere, said compact containing chemically bound oxygen, the amount of chemically-combined oxygen in said mass being sufficient so that a copper metal/copper oxide eutectic forms in said mass during sintering.

A process for producing a composite containing copper and a transition metal, said process comprising sintering a compact of copper-containing particles and transition metal-containing particles in a reducing atmosphere containing water in an amount sufficient to improve sintering of said compacted mass, said compact also containing chemically-bound oxygen.

A process for producing a composite containing copper and a transition metal, said process comprising sintering in a reducing atmosphere a compacted mass of flowable agglomerates, said agglomerates containing transition metal-containing particles and copper-containing particles, said compacted mass containing chemically-bound oxygen in an amount sufficient to improve sintering of said compact.

A sintered composite comprising copper and at least one transition metal selected from the group consisting of tungsten and molybdenum, said composite having a density of at least 95% of theoretical, said composite being produced by sintering a compacted mass of copper-containing particles and particles of said transition metal, said compacted mass further containing at least 50 mole % chemically-bound oxygen based on the amount of copper in said compacted mass.

A process for improving sintering of a compacted mass of copper-containing particles and particles of a transition metal, said process comprising sintering said compacted mass in a reducing atmosphere containing sufficient steam to improve sintering of said compacted mass.

A process for producing a composite containing copper and a transition metal, said process comprising sintering a compact of copper-containing particles and transition metal-containing particles in a reducing atmosphere, said compact being composed of a compacted mass of flowable agglomerates, said agglomerates containing said transition metal-containing particles and said copper-containing particles, said agglomerates further containing chemically-bound oxygen.