A comparative wear study on heat-treated aluminium–lithium alloy and pure aluminium

Wear behaviour of solution-treated and aged aluminium–lithium alloy (2.5% Li, 2% Cu, 1% Mg and 0.15% Zr) was compared with that of pure aluminium. Wear tests were carried out in ambient air in a pin-on-disc type apparatus under dry sliding conditions using hardened steel disc as the counterbody. A normal load of 10 N and a linear speed of 0.98 m s−1 were used during the tests. Microscopic investigation, microhardness measurement on the subsurface of wear scars on pins, X-ray diffraction study and morphological examination of wear debris were done to elucidate wear mechanism. It has been found that the wear resistance of the aluminium–lithium alloy is about two and half times higher than that of pure aluminium. Subsurface deformation, delamination, etc. have been found during the wear of the aluminium–lithium alloy, while severe adhesive wear has been identified as the main mechanism in pure aluminium.