Study on the microstructure and age hardening capability in Al–Cu–Li alloys with different Cu/Li ratio

Abstract The microstructural evolution during natural ageing and artificial ageing treatment has been quantified in Al–Cu–Li alloys with Cu/Li ratios of 2.3 and 3.9. Methods including various ageing, hardness testing, transmission electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry were employed. The precipitation of T1 (Al 2 CuLi) phase was confirmed for the first time in the high Li content alloy under natural ageing treatment for 5 months, while the Li-lean alloy exhibits barely any precipitation at room temperature. Under artificial ageing, the Li-rich alloy exhibits a significant increase in hardness due to the formation of high density spherical δ′ phase. On the other hand, the increasing Cu/Li ratio promotes the precipitation of the Cu containing precipitates T1 and θ (Al 2 Cu), the high Cu/Li ratio (3.9) alloy shows a recovery of ductility, with a uniform elongation of ∼20 %, which is caused by the strong interactions between the dislocations and the nano-scale T1 and θ precipitates. Meanwhile, as the main strengthening precipitate changes from θ and T1 to T1 alone with prolonged ageing time, the alloy displays a double-peak age hardening behavior. This work sheds light on the design of high strength and ductile Al–Li alloys through the well-controlled T1 phase precipitation.