The Effect of Copper Content on the Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Hypo-, Hyper- and Eutectoid Ti-Cu Alloys

Abstract

Titanium alloys are widely used in aerospace, chemical, biomedical and other important fields due to outstanding properties. The mechanical behavior of Ti alloys depends on microstructural characteristics and type of alloying elements. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different Cu contents (2.5 wt.%, 7 wt.% and 14 wt.%) on mechanical and frictional properties of titanium alloys. The properties of titanium alloy were characterized by tensile test, electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, reciprocating friction and wear test. The results show that the intermediate phase that forms the eutectoid structure with α-Ti was identified as FCC Ti2Cu, and no primary β phase was formed. With the increase of Cu content, the Ti2Cu phase precipitation in the alloy increases. Ti2Cu particles with needle structure increase the dislocation pinning effect on grain boundary and improve the strength and hardness of titanium alloy. Thus, Ti-14Cu shows the lowest elongation, the best friction and wear resistance, which is caused by the existence of Ti2Cu phases. It has been proved that the mechanical and frictional properties of Ti-Cu alloys can be adjusted by changing the Cu content, so as to better meet its application in the medical field.

Production of Hybrid Nanocomposites Based on Iron Waste Reinforced with Niobium Carbide/Granite Nanoparticles with Outstanding Strength and Wear Resistance for Use in Industrial Applications

“…Moreover, adding Cu to it has an economical dimension, as it reduces the temperature required for sintering during preparation. This can be attributed to that the melting point of Cu (~1080 °C) is lower than that of Fe (~1538 °C) [ 1 , 13 , 14 ]. It is worth noting that there are many ceramics that can be used as a reinforcer for metal matrices, including titanium (Ti), titanium carbide (TiC), carbon nanotube (CNT), titanium diborate (TiB 2 ), boron carbide (B 4 C), alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), tungsten carbide (WC), molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) and yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3 ) are used as reinforcement materials [ 15 ].…”

Effect of Cu Content on the Precipitation Behaviors, Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of As-Cast Ti-Cu Alloys

“…Cu is an active eutectoid β stabilizer element in titanium alloys, and the melting temperature of the Ti-Cu alloy decreases with the increase of Cu content [ 11 , 12 ]. The addition of Cu element to titanium can favor casting and improve the mechanical properties of the products [ 13 ]. In addition to mechanical properties, corrosion resistance is an important consideration for the biomedical materials.…”