A Study on the Effect of Micro-alloying of Titanium in 2xxx Aluminium Alloy

Abstract

In the present work, the effect of micro-alloying (0.02 wt%) of Titanium (Ti) in Aluminium (Al) alloys 2xxx series was studied with respect to its micro-hardness values. Two alloy compositions of Al–6.84Cu–0.02Mg (alloy-A) and Al–6.84Cu–0.02Mg–0.02Ti (alloy-B) were prepared by casting route. The alloys were subjected to different heat treatment conditions. Micro Vickers hardness tests were carried out for both the alloys under as-cast and heat treated conditions. Addition of 0.02 wt% Ti was found to have increased the hardness values of the 2xxx series Al-alloys under both as-cast and homogenized conditions by about 11%. Micro-alloying of 0.02 wt% Ti to 2xxx series Al-alloy was also compared with micro-alloying of 0.02 wt% Sn to the 2xxx Al alloy. In this case, hardness of Al–Ti micro-alloys were 5% higher compared the Al–Sn micro-alloys under both as-cast and homogenized conditions. In the present work surface morphology of the six samples of alloy-A and alloy-B were analysed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) under secondary electron (SE) mode. The overall phase composition of the samples were also analysed using an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) attached to the SEM.