Wear and Frictional Behavior of Copper Modified Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

The effect of copper addition on the dry sliding wear and frictional behavior of Ti-6Al-4V alloy in different heat treatment conditions, i.e., in α + β phase field and β phase field, was investigated using pin-on-disk method. The hardness of the alloy subjected to solution treatment followed by aging, exhibited relatively higher hardness than solution treated alloy due to the precipitation of Ti₂Cu intermetallic. The wear rate, average coefficient of friction and maximum temperature attained during sliding test were determined and reported as a function of varying load of 10-50 N at sliding velocities of 0.25, 1 and 1.5 m/s. The wear rate increased with load, whereas it decreased initially with siding velocities till 1 m/s and increased beyond that. The average coefficient of friction and maximum temperature were observed to be directly dependent on the load, whereas sliding velocity exhibited a different influence on coefficient of friction. Aging treatment resulted in lower coefficient of friction and maximum temperature attained during the test. The morphological evaluation of wear tracks and wear debris was also carried out and is presented in the current study.