Titanium is considered one of the strongest materials available in the market. Due to its characteristic of high tensile strength, heat resistance, corrosive resistance, lightweight, and the ability to withstand extreme temperature, it is an ideal material for a variety of applications. Their application is ranging from jewelry, medical devices, surgical implants, ship, aircraft to military applications. Pure titanium has a high level of strength and corrosive resistance. Titanium alloys typically contain other chemical elements such as aluminum, vanadium, molybdenum, zirconium, tantalum, iron, nickel, copper, manganese, etc. Titanium alloy possesses the same level of strength and corrosive resistance as pure titanium, with greater flexibility and malleability in comparison with pure titanium. We can found six different grades of pure titanium and four types of titanium alloys. Here we will introduce some common types of titanium alloys and their applications.
Regarding the properties of titanium, its atomic weight is 47.88 which is lightweight. It has tensile strengths ranging from 30,000 psi to 200,000 psi which equals 210 to 1380 MPa. It is a low-density element that is only approximately 60% density of the iron. Titanium has a high heat conductivity and its coefficient of thermal expansion is lower than steel. It is nonmagnetic, electrical resistant, and has a high melting point of 1725°C which is much higher than the melting point of steel and aluminum. The titanium also has a high resistance to most mineral acids and chlorides which make it suitable for petrochemical and marine applications.
In choosing the right titanium alloy for the application, it is important to consider the economic and technological aspects of the material of a specific component. Since the price of titanium alloy is relatively high, we need to weigh carefully between the high initial cost of investing in titanium material and the advantages of using titanium such as weight reduction, longer usage life of the component, high corrosion resistance, etc.
Common types of Titanium Alloys
Ti 6Al-4V (Grade 5) is the most commonly used titanium alloy and it has been used in half of the usage of titanium in the world. Its chemical composition has 6% of aluminum, 4% of vanadium, 0.25% of iron, 0.2% of oxygen. Titanium grade 5 is stronger than pure titanium (grade 1 to grade 4) and having the same thermal properties and stiffness as pure titanium. It can be heat-treated to increase its strength and used in welded construction. Titanium grade 5 can be used in the application of up to 400 degrees Celsius. It is popular to be applied in marine, aerospace, offshore, and power generation applications such as the structure, engine, turbine of the aircraft.
Ti 3Al 2.5 (Grade 12) has the best weldability among other types of titanium alloy. It is strong at high temperatures and exhibits a heavier weight than other titanium alloys. It can be formed by heat or cold. Titanium grade 12 is most commonly used in the manufacturing industry for equipment applications such as shell and heat exchangers, elevated temperature chemical manufacturing, hydrometallurgical application, etc.
Ti 6AL-4V ELI (Grade 23) is the higher purity version of the Ti 6AI-4V. It is widely used in surgery, medical and dental application for complex surgical procedures. It contains 6% of aluminum, 4% of vanadium, 0.13% of oxygen. It can easily be molded, or cut into wires, strands, or coils. Grade 23 is the most commonly used medical implant-grade titanium alloy. It possesses superior biocompatibility which is compatible with human tissues and bones, therefore make it easy to graft and attach to the bone. Common applications include orthopedic pins, orthopedic cable, joint replacement, bone fixation devices, cryogenic vessels, etc.
Other Applications of Titanium
Titanium alloy is also used in automotive applications, especially for automobile and motorcycle racing as it can achieve weight reduction at the same maintain a high level of strength and rigidity. It also used in a wide range of sporting equipment such as bicycle frames, tennis rackets, hockey, golf clubs, and many more. Another major use of titanium is the equipment in the bleaching of paper pulp and textiles as it is naturally resistant to the bleaching reagents such as calcium hypochlorite, sodium chlorite, peroxide bleach liquors, etc. The titanium equipment includes filters, mixers, valves, pipework, or reaction vessels. Another potential use of titanium is from army ordnance, a testing result has shown that titanium armor allows a 25% weight saving compared to the steel armor with the same resistance to ballistic attack. In addition, armored vehicles also apply to the transportation field. The overall weight of the railway car is able to decrease with the application of titanium, and so the horsepower will be reduced to pull a lighter car. The pay load can also be increased with the replacement of titanium over the steel in such items as wheels and axles. There also many popular applications of titanium in the oil & gas industry for such areas as the pipeline, exploration, underwater operations, and refining. We also can foresee some future applications of titanium in the area of deep sour well equipment, coiled tube, submersibles, production riser, and many more.
In conclusion, titanium is a highly strong and durable material, it alloys add greater malleability and flexibility to this strong material which has many uses in multiple industries and different applications. MecHero Malaysia supplies a wide range of both pure and titanium alloy grades to meet your project requirements. You can always contact us at +6011-7000 7687 or email us at my.mechero@gmail.com for an inquiry about the types of titanium in Malaysia. We also supply a wide range of steel material, hardware, or mechanical components. Tell us your requirements now and we can advise you accordingly.
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