TECHNICAL DATA

Technical Product Information

Materials Overview

Base materialDiameter range [µm]PurityUTS [N/mm2]Rp 0,01 [N/mm2]Elongation [%]Surface treatment
Tungsten doped with K (W/K)4 – 200Min 99,95%W
60-65 ppm K
2600 – 35001000 – 20001,5 – 3Electroetching
Electropolishing
Electroplating
Tungsten W (Re-3%)4 – 200Min 97% W
3% Re
2700 – 39001000 – 20001 – 2,5 Electroetching
Electropolishing
Electroplating
Molybdenum ILQ doped with 0,03 % La2O310 – 200

Min 99,9% Mo 0,03%  La2O3

2100 – 2400700 – 14001 – 2Electroetching
Electroplating
ILQ Mo – after hydrogen annealing straightening10 – 200Min 99,9% Mo 0,03% La2O31700 – 2000600 – 12001 – 2Electroetching
Electroplating
Pure Mo – annealed10 – 200Min 99,97% Mo700 – 900600 – 900≥ 10%Electroetching
Electroplating

Tungsten doped with potassium (W/K 60ppm)

  • High density – absorbs radiation effectively (radiation shielding – (X-rays, gamma rays, particle accelerators)
  • Tungsten offers high tensile strength, hardness and high wear resistance even at low dimensions  (cutting tools & wear-resistant coatings)
  • Moderate conductivity
  • Good stability and creep resistance
  • The highest melting point of all metals (extreme heat applications)
  • High resistance to oxidation and corrosion

Molybdenum (Mo) ILQ doped with 0,03 % La2O3

  • Excellentfor high-temperature use High melting point (lower than W but still heat-resistant)
  • Molybdenum offers high tensile strength, hardness, and wearresistance while maintaining a lower density than W (aerospace and lightweight high-temperature applications)
  • Moderate corrosion resistance Good conductivity (Semiconductors & electronics)

Material Properties

Material Properties of W/K – 60ppm compared to W/Re

PropertyW/K – 60ppm
Thermal conductivity+
Tensile strength and hardness
High-temperature stability / Creep resistance
Recrystallization temperature
Workability/formability
Corrosion resistance
Wear resistance+
Ductility
Electron work function
Electrical resistance
≈ comparable, + higher, – lower than W/Re.  

W/Re

  • Electron work function is higher than W/K – 60ppm
  • Electrical resistance is higher than W/K – 60ppm
  • Ductility is higher than W/K – 60ppm
  • Lower thermal conductivity than W/K – 60ppm
  • Application: Material for electron scattering, nuclear reaction studies, neutron diffraction

Material Properties doped Molybdenum (ILQ 0.03% La2O3 Mo) compared to Pure Mo.

Property ILQ Mo
Thermal and electrical conductivity
Tensile strength+
Stability at RT
High-temperature stability / Creep resistance+
Recrystallization temperature+
Ductility after High-temperature use+
Elongation 
Elongation compared to annealed Pure Mo
≈ 
Weldability +

≈ comparable, + higher, – lower than pure Mo.

Application areas

General examples of Application areas of the wires

  • Antenna-mesh for Space Satellite systems
  • Particle accelerators: Detector Technology
  • Electronics: Semiconductors and Integrated circuit Testing; Connectors; Wire bonding;
  • Power Electronics /Batteries (Pseudocapacitors /Super condensators)
  • Medical: Guide Wires – radiopaque visibility; Medical wires for components used for brain stimulation and neuronal studies; Surgical robots; Stents; Catchers and Baskets
  • Military and Defense (Detectors, Sensors, Satellite systems
  • Musical Strings
  • Catalysis: Catalyst in petroleum refining and hydrogenation
  • Critical infrastructure security: Detector Technology
  • Technical textiles including Smart Textiles
  • Wire bonding technology
  • Energy: sensors and high temperature applications
  • Cutting technology tools
  • Specialty lighting (furnace components and lamp components)
  • R&D and Scientific high-precision instrumentation
  • Digital printing and 3D printing

Gold and Nickel Coatings / Surface finishing

Coatings /Surface finishing

  • Electroplating: Reel to reel
  • Coatings: Gold, Nickel in Cyanide matrix as a strike or final plating.
  • Coating thickness: Customizing according to customer demands
  • Surfaces: polished (smooth), semi-polished and etched (less smooth).
  • Different coating formulations: adhesion and porosity might be adjusted with different formulation. (The higher the coating thicknesses the better coverage and less pores.)
Polished surface
Technical Product Information

Etched surface

Gold

Characteristics

  • Excellent corrosion resistance
  • Does not tarnish or oxidize
  • Easily shaped
  • Best malleability and ductility
  • Highly conductive
  • Biocompatible
  • Compact, soft, shiny and most chemically inert known metal

Pure gold soft
According to MIL standard (2007): Type III (min 99.9 % purity); Grade A (max 90 Knoop).

Gold – increased hardness
According to MIL standard (2007): Type III (min 99.9 % purity); Grade B (max 91-129 Knoop).

MaterialDimension < 50 µmDimension > 50 µm
W/K & W-Re wireCoating thickness corresponds to 3 – 5% by weight as standard0.5 µm an standard
Mo wireCoating thickness corresponds to 3 – 5% by weight as standard0.5 µm an standard

Nickel

Characteristics

  • Strike – act as a primer/pre-plating of a thin layer to add to a base material to achieve good adhesion between polished tungsten and gold.

Quality Material Analysis/Lab Testing

  • Unique procedural competences
  • Microscopy: surface appearances: determine microstructure, surface defects, morphology and elemental composition
    • Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
    • Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS)
    • Light Optical Microscopy (LOM)
  • Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) – spectro- analytical procedure for the quantitative measurement of chemical elements.
  • 3D VIEW software: surface roughness values
  • Adhesion metrologies
  • Climate chamber/Furnace – determine behavior and porosity
  • TS testing tool:: ductility, brittleness, elongation, UTS, proportionality limit
  • Straightness measurement

R&D Research and development

  • Materials and Electrochemical Research.
  • Participation in customer process development projects.
  • Tailor-made process forthe customer
  • Participation in international projects and national founded projects.
  • Collaboration with Universities and Research Institutes.
  • Literature research & Co-authors of scientific articles.

W / K

FormulationExamples of Application areasPros/Cons
W – Etched – Pure gold softPrinters, Antennas, Instruments, Medical, Particle accelerators Good adhesion
W – Polished – Pure gold softParticle accelerators, Research, DetectorsLimited adhesion
W – Etched – Gold increased hardness

Antennas, Research, Medical, Particle accelerators, Electronics, Scientific engineering

Good adhesion
Increased wear resistance
W – Polished – Nickel – Gold increased hardnessMedical ResearchImproved adhesion, increased wear resistance
W – Semipolished – Nickel – Gold increased hardnessMedicalImproved adhesion, increased wear resistance
W – Etched – Nickel – Gold increased hardnessAntennasImproved adhesion, increased wear resistance

W / Re

FormulationExamples of Application areasPros/Cons
W / Re – Etched – Pure gold softInstitute, Particle accelerators, Nuclear Research, Detector Technology Good adhesion
W / Re – Polished – Pure gold softParticle accelerators Limited adhesion
W / Re – Etched – Gold increased hardnessDetectorsGood adhesion
Increased wear resistance
W / Re – Polished – Nickel – Gold increased hardnessResearch, Printing, Antennas, DetectorsImproved adhesion
Increased wear resistance
W – Etched – Nickel – Gold increased hardness Improved adhesion
Increased wear resistance

Mo

FormulationExamples of Application areasPros/Cons
Mo – Etched – Pure gold softAntennas, Research, MicrochipsGood adhesion
Mo – Etched – Gold increased hardnessAntennas, Research, Medical, E-textilesIncreased wear resistance
Mo – Etched – Nickel – Gold increased hardnessAntennasGood adhesion
Increased wear resistance