Thermal oxidation behavior of an Al-Li-Cu-Mg-Zr alloy

The chemical composition of oxide films formed during thermal treatments of an Al-Li-Cu-Mg-Zr alloy has been studied by means of Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The oxide layers formed after oxidation of 2.5 minutes to 30 minutes at 5300C in lab air have been characterized. In the early stages of oxidation the surface is composed of both the lithium rich oxides and magnesium rich oxides. However, after longer oxidation times the oxidation of lithium becomes predominant and the air/oxide interface is completely covered by lithium compounds. Oxidation products formed on the alloy surface have been studied by X-ray diffraction analysis. The following three phases, namely, Li/sub 2/CO/sub 3/, α-Li/sub 5/AlO/sub 4/, and γ-LiAlO/sub 2/, were identified. During heat treatment in lab air at 5300C and at atmospheric pressure the dominating reaction product is Li/sub 2/CO/sub 3/. Due to the selective oxidation of lithium a soft surface layer is developed. The width of the soft layer formed during solution heat treatments carried out in lab air and in salt bath environments has been determined by microhardness measurements. The lithium concentration profiles were calculated from a diffusion equation. The depletion of alloying elements from the near surface region during heat treatments has been investigated using energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The oxide morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy