Solid-phase synthesis of cupric tungstate

The high degree of mixing of W and Cu phases in copper tungstates makes them an attractive source for manufacturing W–Cu composite powders. Hydrogen reduction of copper tungstates provides composite W–Cu powder products with a uniform, homogeneous dispersion of the metal phases. This paper presents test results for a variety of solid-phase reactions to synthesize cupric tungstate (CuWO₄). Hydrated, dehydrated, and complex oxides of tungsten and copper have been used as solid reactants. With stoichiometric ratios of reactants, synthesis in air at 800 °C produced 96% to 100% conversion to CuWO₄. Heterogeneous synthesis of CuWO₄ with the participation of three solid phases (S₁ + S₂ →S₃) required the simplest, most inexpensive equipment. The end product properties of synthesized CuWO₄ could be controlled by the proper choice of reactants.