Titanium is a widely-used, lightweight structural metal in various industries. It has:
- high resistance to corrosion
- non-magnetic traits
- unique density
- good heat transfer
- high melting point
- high tensile strength
For many years now, titanium has shown that it an indispensable material. It has become very valuable in the aircraft industry, chemical processing plants, gas and oil production, and many more.
Titanium can easily be fabricated, welded, and formed to make it useful in a number of industrial operations. Titanium tubes are an example of how titanium can be rendered to become functional today.
Titanium tube and pipes come in different grades of titanium alloys and pure titanium.
There are 38 titanium grades identified today that have passed the standards of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B-338 and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) B-338. Some of these approved titanium grades for pressurized service are 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 11, 12, 16, 17, 26 (TIRU-26TM), and 27 (TIRU-27TM). Among them, grade 2 titanium is most frequently used, especially for power plant surface condensers.
Examples of titanium alloy grades used for titanium tubing are Alloy Ti 3AI/2.5V and Alloy Ti 6Al/4V.
Alloy Ti 3Al/2.5V has good ductility, excellent resistance to corrosion, and high strength, and it can be cold worked and welded. Titanium tubes of this grade are available in two types: straight and seamless. They are typically used in manufacturing aircraft honeycomb panels, aircraft hydraulic systems, and other aerospace parts. Among the other applications are in medical, dental, marine, sports, and chemical industries.
Alloy Ti 6Al/4V is the most widely-used alpha-beta titanium alloy, with at least 50% usage. It has comparable thermal properties and stiffness to commercial titanium, but has better strength, fabricability, corrosion resistance, and weld properties. Titanium tubes of this grade are also available in either the seamless form or straight form. They are primarily utilized in pressure tubing, aerospace tubing, and surgical tubing. Other industries that make use of Alloy Ti 6Al/4V titanium tubes include the oil and gas, chemical, medical, and aerospace industries.