Interactions between cadmium and Al3Li precipitates: A new mechanism of accelerating dissolution and transformation of phases in Al–Li–Cu alloy

The interactions between Cd and δ′-Al3Li precipitates and their impacts were reported for the first time. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction results suggested that a trace (0.06 at. %) addition of Cd significantly altered the microstructural evolution and the hardening behavior of high-lithium aluminum alloys. The Cd addition not only led to a lower peak-hardness and shorter peak-aged time, but also caused a sharp decrease of...