Tribological behavior of the electron beam additive manufactured Ti6Al4V-Cu alloy

Earlier studies have shown that it is possible to successfully obtain Ti6Al4V-Cu alloys with various copper concentrations using the double-wire electron beam additive manufacturing. Obtaining these alloys is of a practical interest for creating a titanium-base composite material with reduced risk of spontaneous combustion, which could be used in friction units at elevated temperatures. This article presents a study of the tribological properties of Ti6Al4V titanium alloy samples produced by layer-by-layer electron beam melting with the addition of Cu from a wire. The results of this work demonstrate an improved wear resistance of Ti6Al4V-Cu alloys. Such a result was achieved due to the grain refinement and precipitation of intermetallic Ti2Cu nanosized particles. For instance, the value of linear wear of alloys Ti6Al4V-6 wt.% Cu and Ti6Al4V-9.7 wt.% Cu is 46 % and 40 % less, respectively, as compared to the original alloy Ti6Al4V. It has been established that the plastic deformation penetration below the worn surface decreases with the increase in the concentration of copper in titanium alloy samples.