Zhejiang University-Wenzhou Hongfeng R&D Center of Nano Electrical Contact Functional Composite Materials, established in December 2010, is a research base for studying electrical contact composite materials. The R&D Center is co-established by Wenzhou Hongfeng Electrical Alloy Co., Ltd. and the Zhejiang-California International Nanosystems Institute of Zhejiang University, with a focus on the R&D needs of Wenzhou Hongfeng in electrical contact functional composite materials to assist Hongfeng in developing new materials, new processes, new technologies, and new products, backed up by the Zhejiang-California International Nanosystems Institute of Zhejiang University with its resources in personnel, facilities, equipment, and research capabilities. The research covers the preparation of new silver-based electrical contact materials, the R&D of electrical contact materials with new micro-nano composite structures, high temperature creep characteristics and thermal processing map design, interface structure regulation, electrical contact performance, etc.

The personnel in the R&D Center have a clear division of labor. They are identified by a wide range of professional backgrounds, involving materials, chemistry, machinery, electronics, accounting, management, and other majors, which provides the R&D Center with an interdisciplinary advantage and guarantees the success of the Center’s work. For more than a decade, the R&D Center has achieved gratifying results. It has applied for several projects funded by the National High-tech R&D Program (863 Program) and the Provincial Key R&D Program, which have been successfully completed the accepted. It has won 2 second prizes of the Zhejiang Science and Technology Progress Award, published more than 50 papers, and filed more than 40 patent applications. In cooperation with universities, the R&D Center provides for 3 post-doctoral fellows, 1 doctoral student, and 1 master student to study there.

The cooperation between Central South University and Wenzhou Hongfeng began in May 2022. Specifically, the partners are the State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy of Central South University, and Wenzhou Hongfeng Alloy Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wenzhou Hongfeng Electrical Alloy Co., Ltd. In the cooperation, Hongfeng receives full support in human resources, facilities, equipment, and research capabilities from the State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy of Central South University to boost the company’s development of new materials, new processes, new technologies, and new products. The research covers the development of cemented carbide and cermet substrates, the development of advanced coating materials, the development of powder metallurgy materials and related product technology, the development of advanced brazing materials and diffusion welding alloy materials, etc.

The cooperation is conducted in specific projects. The research project for the first year is “Carbon Oxygen Reaction Mechanism and Sintering Process Optimization in the Sintering Process of Ultrafine Cemented Carbide”. The team of Mr. Du Yong from Central South University has developed the largest and most precise thermal and kinetic database of cemented carbide globally, which provides a good theoretical basis for the project cooperation.