Titanium and Titanium Alloy Sheets
Introduction
Titanium and titanium alloys are widely used in light industry, military industry, aviation and spaceflight and other fields because of their high strength, light weight and good corrosion resistance. Titanium and titanium alloys in sheets, also known as titanium plates, are widely used in these fields as well. GB3621-83 is the Chinese standard for titanium and titanium alloy sheets used for industry.
Main Characteristics
Titanium is an element from Periodic Table, known for its light weight, high strength, and extraordinary corrosion resistance. Titanium is able to form a protective oxide film on its surface after oxidation, and thus it has excellent corrosion resistance in many media like aqua regia. Titanium and titanium alloys are widely used in the chemical industry, petroleum industry, air and seawater desalination, electric power industry, and boilers and pumps industry.
Titanium and titanium alloys exhibit great strength, relatively low density and high specific strength. Adding different amounts of alloy elements into titanium, we can get different material properties, such as better corrosion resistance, higher strength, and better low-temperature anti-wear properties.
Specification and Requirements
As required by GB 3621-83, titanium and titanium alloy sheets in thickness from 0.3mm to 10.0mm must meet the following requirements:
1) Tensile strength: The sheet should not be lower than 460MPa.
2)Bending strength: The sheet should not be lower than 450MPa.
3) Brinell hardness: The sheet should not be lower than 250 HB.
4)Grain size: The sheet must be completely smooth with micro-grain size equal to or less than 5 or 6 according to ASTM E112.
5)Chemical components:The sheet should contain at least 99% titanium, trace elements and impurities can be added according to different industrial requirements.
6)Appearance: The sheet should be uniform in color and structure, with no scratches, pits and other surface irregularities.
Applications of Titanium and Titanium Alloy Sheets
Titanium and titanium alloy plates are widely used in chemical industry, military industry, aerospace, metallurgy, petroleum, electric power, and medical industry.
1)In chemical industry, titanium alloy sheets can be used in making corrosion resistant equipment, as well as storage tanks, pumps, valves and other processing equipment.
2)In military industry, titanium alloy sheets are used in making artillery shell, rocket and aircraft parts with superior strength and corrosion resistance.
3)In aerospace, titanium plates are often used in making aircraft frames, skin and other components with superior strength, light weight and corrosion resistance.
Conclusion
The use of titanium and titanium alloys in sheets can greatly reduce the weight of equipment and extend its life. As a result, it gets more popular in many industries in recent years and the demand of titanium sheets is increasing. In the future, with technological development and cost reduction, titanium plates will have more applications and more mass production in many different industries.
