Tungsten Copper Alloys for Motors

Tungsten Copper Alloys for Motors

As one of the key parts of the DC motor, the commutator segment can be made not only of silver-copper alloy but also of tungsten copper alloy. This is mainly due to the combination of the advantages of copper and tungsten in tungsten-copper alloys. That is, it has the characteristics of high strength, high specific gravity, high-temperature resistance, arc ablation resistance, strong oxidation resistance, low expansion coefficient, good electrical conductivity and heating performance, excellent processing performance, and excellent plasticity. In this article, let’s take a closer look at the tungsten copper alloys for motors. 

Tungsten Copper Alloys for Motors

The commutator is mainly composed of commutator segments and brushes, and its function is to convert the AC electromotive force and current in the armature winding into the DC electromotive force and current between the brushes.

Its working principle is: when the current passes through the coil, it will be rotated by the force of attraction and repulsion under the action of the permanent magnet. When it rotates to balance with the magnet, the original wire connected with electricity is separated from the contact on the commutator, and the brush is connected to the contact on the corresponding set of coils that produces the driving force. This keeps repeating, and thus the DC motor rotates. 

Nowadays, in order to improve the overall performance of the commutator, the commutator segment can not only be made of pure copper but also can be made of alloy products such as silver copper and tungsten copper.

However, the shortcomings of the pure copper commutator segment are that it is prone to oxidation and discoloration, which is not conducive to the long-term work of the commutator segment. The commutator segment of silver alloy has the disadvantages of vulcanization and blackening, which seriously affects the reliability of the system.

Although it can be solved by coating, if the coating is not processed properly, it will easily fall off after a long time of use. Compared with pure copper and silver copper, the overall performance of tungsten copper alloy is better, and tungsten copper does not have the shortcomings of pure copper and silver copper. The common preparation methods of tungsten copper are powder metallurgy, injection molding, copper oxide powder method, and tungsten frame infiltration method.

Conclusion 

Thank you for reading our article and we hope it can help you have a better understanding of tungsten copper alloys for motors. If you want to learn more about tungsten alloys or other types of refractory metals and alloys, we would like to advise you to visit Advanced Refractory Metals (ARM) for more information.

Headquartered in Lake Forest, California, USA, Advanced Refractory Metals (ARM) is a leading manufacturer & supplier of refractory metals & alloys across the world. It provides customers with high-quality refractory metals & alloys such as tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, rhenium, titanium, and zirconium at a very competitive price.