In this work, a new ultra-high strength Al-Cu-Li alloy was investigated. The ultimate strength, yield strength and elongation of the newly designed alloy by artificial aging are 647.2MPa, 609.4MPa and 7.3% respectively. Among the main strengthening phases of T1, θ′ and S′ in the experimental alloys, T1is the dominant one. The combined addition of Mg and Ag promoted the precipitation of T1and increased the strength of the new alloy greatly. Zn had a similar effect as Ag during the aging strengthening progress, when added with Mg. Among the three micro-alloying elements, Mg, Ag and Zn, Mg had the strongest influence on age strengthening. Compared with the combined additions of (Mg +Ag) and (Mg + Zn), (Ag + Zn) had the weakest influence on aging strengthening. Pre-deformation before aging promoted the precipitation of T1 phase which weakened the influence of micro-alloying elements (Mg, Ag and Zn) on strengthening the alloys and minished the strength difference between alloy containing (Mg + Ag + Zn) and alloys containing two of them.

The microstructure, tensile property and fracture toughness of Al-Li alloy 2397-T87 rolled plate were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, tensile and plane-strain fracture toughness tests. The results show that a pronounced texture variation through the plate thickness was found. Near the surface, Goss texture dominated. While in the center of the plate, typical β fiber texture and a scattering of cube texture were observed. And the subsurface layer exhibited a very weak texture. From the center to the subsurface, the fraction of β fiber texture and cube texture decreased. In contrast, the fraction of shear type texture reaching the maximum in subsurface layer increased. The tensile properties in different layers along the thickness direction were inhomogeneous. The strengths near the surface were lower than those in the center. And the through-thickness strength properties variation in the rolling direction was more remarkable than that in the long transverse direction. In the same thickness layer, the fracture toughness and the strengths were anisotropic. The strengths in the rolling direction were higher than those in the long transverse direction and the short transverse direction, and the strengths in the short transverse direction were the lowest. The fracture toughness in L-T orientation was the highest, followed by that in T-L orientation, and the fracture toughness in S-L orientation was the lowest.