A Brief Introduction to the Top Ten Properties of Titanium

Author：Time：2023-05-10Return to List

1.Low Density and High Specific Strength

Titanium metal has a density of 4.51g/cm3, which is higher than aluminum but lower than steel, copper, and nickel. However, its specific strength ranks first among metals.

2.Corrosion Resistance

Titanium is a very reactive metal with a low equilibrium potential, making it prone to thermodynamic corrosion in various media. However, in reality, titanium is very stable in many media, such as in oxidizing, neutral, and weakly reducing environments. This is because titanium has a strong affinity for oxygen, and in air or oxygen-containing media, a dense, strongly adherent, and inert oxide film forms on the surface of titanium, protecting the titanium substrate from corrosion. Even if mechanically worn, it can quickly heal or regenerate itself. This demonstrates that titanium is a metal with a strong tendency for passivation. The oxide film of titanium maintains this characteristic at temperatures below 315°C.

To enhance the corrosion resistance of titanium, surface treatment techniques such as oxidation, electroplating, plasma spraying, ion nitriding, ion implantation, and laser treatment have been developed. These techniques enhance the protective properties of the titanium oxide film and achieve the desired corrosion resistance. To meet the needs of metal materials in production processes involving sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, methylamine solutions, high-temperature wet chlorine gas, and high-temperature chlorides, a series of corrosion-resistant titanium alloys such as titaniumolybdenum, titanium-palladium, and titanium-molybdenum-nickel have been developed. Titanium castings use titanium-32 molybdenum alloy, and titanium-0.3 molybdenum-0.8 nickel alloy or titanium equipment is used for local applications in environments prone to crevice corrosion or pitting corrosion, achieving excellent results.

3.Good Heat Resistance

New titanium alloys can be used for long-term applications at temperatures of 600°C or higher.

4.Good Low-Temperature Performance

Low-temperature titanium alloys represented by TA7 (Ti-5Al-2.5Sn), TC4 (Ti-6Al-4V), and Ti-2.5Zr-1.5Mo have increasing strength as the temperature decreases, but their plasticity changes little. They maintain good ductility and toughness at temperatures ranging from -196 to -253°C, avoiding metal cold brittleness. These alloys are ideal materials for low-temperature containers, storage tanks, and other equipment.

5.Strong Resistance to Damping

Titanium metal has a longer selfvibration decay time compared to steel and copper when subjected to mechanical or electrical vibrations. Due to this property, titanium can be used as tuning forks, vibrating elements for ultrasonic pulverizers in medicine, and vibrating membranes for high-end audio speakers.

6.Non-Magnetic and Non-Toxic

Titanium is a non-magnetic metal that cannot be magnetized even in strong magnetic fields. It is non-toxic and has good compatibility with human tissue and blood, making it suitable for medical applications.

7.Close Tensile Strength and Yield Strength

The tensile strength of titanium is close to its yield strength, indicating a high strength-toyield ratio (tensile strength/yield strength) and poor plastic deformation during metal forming. The large ratio of yield limit to elastic modulus gives titanium a high springback capacity during forming.

8.Good Heat Transfer Performance

Although titanium has a lower thermal conductivity coefficient compared to carbon steel and copper, its excellent corrosion resistance allows for significantly thinner wall thicknesses. Additionally, the heat transfer between the titanium surface and steam occurs through dropwise condensation, reducing thermal resistance. The absence of scaling on the titanium surface further reduces thermal resistance, significantly improving its heat transfer performance.

9.Low Elastic Modulus

The elastic modulus of titanium at room temperature is 106.4 GMPa, which is 57% of steel's elastic modulus.

10.Gas Absorption Capability

Titanium is a chemically very reactive metal that can react with many elements and compounds at high temperatures. Titanium's gas absorption mainly refers to reactions with carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen at elevated temperatures.