Erosion Behavior of WC and Cu-WC Contact Materials Under Vacuum Arc

WC compact and Cu-WC composites were fabricated via spark plasma sintering, and their arc erosion behavior in vacuum was investigated in detail. When subjected to a vacuum arc, WC demonstrated the combined merits of both metals and ceramics. Micro-protrusions, which are commonly observed within the molten pools of alloy-based cathodes, were found on the surface of WC cathodes. The decomposition of WC into W and carbon was observed on both WC cathodes and WC anodes. In Cu-WC composites, WC particles are more refractory than Cu under vacuum arc erosion. After the first vacuum breakdown, Cu-WC composites with higher WC content exhibit smaller molten pools compared to those with lower WC content. After 100 vacuum breakdowns, the WC particles partially melted, and the resulting molten WC was mixed and redistributed throughout the copper matrix.