Laser surface alloying of copper with titanium: Part I. Electrical wear resistance in dry condition. Part II. Electrical wear resistance in wet and corrosive condition

A high-power diode laser was used for alloying titanium on commercially pure copper (cp Cu) for enhancing electrical sliding wear in air. Microstructure and phases present were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. Electrical sliding wear tests in air were conducted with a pin-on-disc tribometer with and without electric current. The electrical sliding wear resistances of all laser-alloyed samples are significantly enhanced by 3 orders of magnitude as compared with cp Cu. Among the laser-alloyed samples, the one with 70 wt.% Ti and average hardness of 661 HV0.2 possesses the highest electrical sliding wear resistance. The enhancement in electrical wear resistance in air is attributed to the presence of Cu-Ti intermetallic phases (IMPs) and solid solution hardening.