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Classification, properties and application of titanium and its alloys

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 PROCEEDINGS OF UNIVERSITY OF RUSE - 2016, volume 55, book 2
НАУЧНИ ТРУДОВЕ НА РУСЕНСКИЯ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ - 2016, том 55, серия 2
SAT-1.307-1-MME-05

Classification, properties and application of titanium and its alloys

Danail Gospodinov, Nikolay Ferdinandov, Stoyan Dimitrov

Abstract: This paper provides a classification of titanium and titanium alloys associated with their
chemical composition and structural state after annealing. Described are their physical, mechanical and
technological properties. A short analysis of areas of application of these materials is made.
Keywords: Titanium alloys, Properties, Structure.

INTRODUCTION
Titanium as a chemical element is known for more than 220 years, and as a
concentration in the earth’s crust, it is on the fourth place among the metals after
aluminum, iron and magnesium. Most authors do refer it to black, refractory metals (its
temperature melting is 1668 ° C) [27, 32].
In pure state titanium is rarely used, but in recent years the use of titanium alloys
have increased significantly due to the development of methods involved in their
production and further processing.
The advantages of titanium and most of its alloys over other well-known structural
materials are related to its high mechanical properties in a wide temperature range, low
density, excellent corrosion resistance to many aggressive media, low thermal
conductivity, non-magnetism, workability in processing and other, which are the qualities
that make it a very attractive material.
It and its alloys are used in various fields of industry, aircraft and rocketry,
shipbuilding, chemical engineering, food processing, and other industries and medicine [3,
4, 7, 11, 17, 19, 22, 23, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33, 34].
The present work presents the classification of titanium and titanium alloys
associated with their chemical composition and structural state after annealing. A review
and analysis of their characteristics and properties, as well as the fields of the application
of these materials, is made.

SUMMARY
Titanium is a tightly packed hexagonal lattice (K12), also known as alpha (α) phase,
which is stable up to 882 ° C. Above this temperature it undergoes polymorphic conversion
to form a beta (β) phase with a volume centered cubic lattice (K8). Titanium belongs to
chemically active metals and it is with high corrosion resistance because of a thin layer (5-
6nm) TiO2 which forms on its surface limiting direct contact with a metal corrosion
protection. Thus, titanium and its alloys do not corrode in the atmosphere, in fresh or sea
water, they are resistant to corrosion and cavitation corrosion under tension, and also in
the acids of organic origin.
The mechanical properties of technically pure titanium are characterized by a good
combination of strength and ductility. For example, technically pure titanium has tensile
strength to 540MRa, yield strength to 410MRa and elongation ≥20%, and in this respect it
is not inferior to the number of carbon and Cr-Ni stainless steels. These characteristics,
however, largely dependent on the content of impurities therein, especially those by the
introduction - oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon and to a lesser extent than those by
substitution - iron and silicon [14]. As they increase strength, they also sharply lower
plasticity as gases have the most harmful influence. With hydrogen content above 0,01%,
nitrogen over 0,24% or oxygen of more than 0.5% titanium completely loses the ability to
process through plastic deformation and brittle breaks, which limits its application.
Hydrogen is less soluble in α titanium and leads to the formation of hydride lowering

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impact strength and the occurrence of hydrogen embrittlement. For this reason, the
content of impurities, especially gas is strictly limited.
For the elaboration of different structures alloys of titanium are mainly used. Their
main advantages are related to their increased strength, heat and corrosion resistance.
Table 1 presents the names of technically pure titanium and some of its alloys under
different standards, and their mechanical properties - tensile strength, yield strength and
elongation [8, 16, 20].

Tab. 1 Designation of titanium and its alloys according to different standards

Rm, Mpa
ASTM
ASM DIN GOST BS UNI 10221 JIS Rp0,2, Mpa
(UNS)
A, %
unalloyed titanium
Gr -1 1 (R50250) 3.7025 ВТ1-00 1 Тi1-Type 1 Class 1 240/170/24
Gr -2 2 (R50400) 3.7035 ВТ1-0 2,3,4,5 Ti2-Type 2 Class 2 340/280/20
Gr -3 3 (R50500) 3.7055 Ti3-Type 3 Class 3 450/380/18
Gr -4 4 (R50700) 3.7065 6,7,8,9 Ti4-Type 4 Class 4 550/480/15
Gr -7 7 (R52400) 3.7235 Ti2Pd-Type7 Class 13 340/280/20
Gr -11 (R52250) 3.7225 Ti1Pd-Type11 Class 12 240/170/24
α and near α alloys
12 TiNiMo- 480/350/18
Gr -12 3.7105
(R53400) Type 12
ВТ-25 900/830/10
Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo (R54620) 3.7145
ВТ-18у
Ti-5Al-2,5Sn (Gr-6) 6 -(R54520) 3.7115 ВТ5-1 TiAl5Sn2,5-Type6 830/790/10
Ti-5Al-2,5Sn ELI (R54521) ВТ5-1кт 720/690/10
Ti-8Al-1Mo-1V (R54810) ВТ-14 930/830/10
Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo (+Si) (R54620) 3.7145 1000/830/10
α – β alloys
5 10,11,12, 900/830/10
Gr -5 3.7165 ВТ-6 TiAl6V4-Type5 Class 60
(R56400) 28,56,59
TiAl6V4ELI-Type 830/760/10
Gr -5ELI (R56401) ВТ-6С
5.1
Ti–4Al–4Mo-2,5Sn - 3.7185 45,57,57 1100/960/9
Ti-3Al-2,5V (Gr-9) 9 (R56320) 3.7195 ПТ-3В TiAl3V2,5-Type9 Class 61 620/520/15
Ti-3Al-2,5V with 28 620/480/15
Ruthenium (Gr-28) (R56323)
Ti-6Al-4V ELI with 23 860/800/10
Class 60 E
Ruthenium (Gr-23) (R56407)
Ti-6Al-6V-2Sn (R56620) 3.7175 1030/970/10
Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-6Mo (R56260) 1170/1100/10
Ti-5Al-2Sn-2Zr-4Mo-4Cr (R58650) 1165/1110/10
Ti-7Al-4Mo (R56740) ВТ-8 1030/970/10
β alloys
Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al (R54610) 1190/1100/9
Ti-3Al-8V-6Cr-4Mo-4Zr 790/760/15
(R58640)
(Gr-19)
Ti-13V-11Cr-3Al ТС6 1170/1100
ASM – Aerospace Specifacation Metals; UNS - Unified Numbering System
ASTM – American Society for Testing and Materials; BS - British Standards
DIN - German Institute for Standardization; GOST -Russian Interstate standard
UNI – Italian Organization for Standardization; JIS – Japanese Industrial Standards

Titanium alloys are classified in several different ways:

1. According to the method of obtaining - deformable and molded;
2. According mechanical properties - alloys with low strength and high ductility,
tensile alloys with medium and high strength alloys;
3. According to the terms of application - cold resistant, refractory and corrosion;
4. According to their ability to hardening with the use of thermal processing –
strengthened and non - strenghtened;

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5. According to their microstructure in annealed condition - alpha and alpha near
alloys (the structure is fully alpha or 5% beta phase), alpha - beta and beta alloys (the
structure is a stable beta phase).
Differences in mechanical properties of different brands technically pure titanium
(Table. 1) are mainly due to the different maximum levels of the elements forming
interstitial solid solution - mainly oxygen and besides him and carbon, hydrogen and
nitrogen. The latter is the most effective element of a reinforcing titanium alloy, followed by
oxygen.
Some alloys are with additional indication "ELI" (Tab. 1). They are manufactured with
extremely low contents of harmful impurities for the use mainly in cryogenic equipment,
where they are necessary to have good ductility and toughness.
As with the alloying of the steel, the alloying elements of titanium (forming
substitution solid solution) are dissolved predominantly in one or other of its modification
and influence on the polymorphic transformation [27].
For example, the addition of aluminum stabilizes the alpha phase and raises the
temperature of polymorphic conversion (almost all industrial titanium alloys are alloyed
with aluminum). Chromium, molybdenum and vanadium stabilize the beta phase and
decrease the temperature of polymorphic transition. With a large amount of beta-
stabilizers, the phase is stable at room temperature and below. Alloying elements also
affect the rate of conversion from one phase to another.
The availability of the beta phase influences the behavior of titanium alloys which
leads to: refining grains and increasing the strength; improves workability by hot plastic
deformation; it allows the application of heat treatment; increases resilience; lowers
weldability.
Alpha and near alpha alloys are not subject to a thermal treatment for increasing the
strength. They have medium strength and creep resistance at elevated temperatures. For
example, Gr-7 and Gr-12 have better corrosion resistance compared to Gr-1 and Gr-2.
The alpha-beta alloys are subject to strenghtened by homogenizing annealing and
aging. They have an increased toughness in an annealed condition and high strength in
heat-treated condition. The most commonly used alloys in this group are Gr-5 and Gr-
5ELI.
Beta alloys contain a large amount of beta stabilizers, but in practice are not
monophase. They are subject to annealed by aging, which leads to a significant increase
of their strength, but they have low ductility and toughness. These alloys are strenghtened
in deformation, and therefore are used as fasteners and springs.
Alpha and beta titanium alloys represent approximately 26% and 4% respectively of
the market for these products in the US, while alpha-beta alloys occupy about 70%.
Titanium alloy Ti-6Al -4V (Gr-5, Gr-5ELI) is of the latter category and covers 56% of the
entire market for titanium and titanium alloys in the US [15].
There are currently over 100 known titanium alloys, but only about 20 to 30 of them
find practical application as there is an increasing interest in the use of the category
titanium aluminide (TiAI) in the aerospace and automotive industries.
Titanium and its alloys are used in a wide range of areas as their selection may be
based on corrosion resistance or strength characteristics [9], biocompatibility and others.
[2]. These materials are most - widely used in the aerospace, automotive and medicine.
Aerospace industry is the main area of their application [24] and in particular in the
systems of engines and hulls where it covers 36% and 7% [21]. In the US, about 70 to
80% of all orders for titanium alloys are for the aerospace industry [10]. The main reasons
are: weight loss (mainly as replacement of the steel, but also as a replacement of Al);
operating temperature (replacement of Al, Ni, alloy steel); corrosion resistance (replacing
the AI and low-alloy steels) [5]. In the table - below (Table 2) are listed parts which are
made of titanium alloys.

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As the strength of titanium alloys is considerably higher than that of aluminum alloys,
the parts can have a smaller cross-section, which leads to weight saving. The substitution
of Al alloys with Ti alloys can also be carried out when the operating temperature exceeds
that of the Al alloys - 130°C [5].
Tab. 2 Application of titanium alloys in the aerospace industry
Alloy Application
Ti-3AI-2.5V Used for hydraulic high pressure lines, replacing the stainless steel pipe and thus reducing the
(Gr-9) weight by 40%. It is used for the production of cell structures.
Ti-5Al-2,5Sn Used in tempered state in cryogenic technique because it keeps good strength and ductility in
(Gr-6) low temperatures. Used in the turbo-pumps high-pressure space shuttles.
Ti-8Al-1Mo-1V It is used for the blades of military engines.
Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr- Used mainly in the parts of gas turbine engines, including disks and rotors at temperatures up to
2Mo (+Si) about 540 ° C, in the high pressure compressors.
It is used in gas turbine engines for both static and rotating components, including all parts of the
Ti-6Al-4V aircraft - fuselage, nacelles, landing gear, wing and tail surfaces, as well as the structure for the
support on the floor.
Ti-6Al-2Sn-2Zr-
Used for F22 program for Lockheed / Boeing.
2Mo-2Cr + Si
Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr- It is used at temperatures up to about 315 ° C, primarily for military engines, such as F-100 and
6Mo F-119, with yield strength of 1035 MPa.
Ti-5AI-2Sn-2Zr-
It is used at temperatures below 400 ° C for fans and compressor disks.
4Mo-4Cr
Ti-13V-11Cr-3Al
Widely used in aircraft SR-71 for the wings and body, frames, partitions and ribs.
Almost the whole main landing gear of Boeing 77 is produced from this alloy which leads to a
Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al
weight saving of about 270 kg per airplane.

The use of titanium and titanium alloys in the automotive industry began with racing
cars of Formula 1 in 1980, as the main application is for parts for engines [25]. However,
due to the high cost of these materials their application in the automotive industry is
limited. In recent years, however, titanium and its alloys have been intensively used for
various automobile parts [13] presented in Table 3 [13, 18, 25].

Tab. 3 Application of titanium and titanium alloys in the automotive industry

Alloy Application
Ti-6AI-4V Spring suspension, bumper, exhaust valves, connecting rods
Gr-4, Ti-6AI-4V Body, fuselage
Gr-2, Ti-6AI-4V, Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo-0.1Si exhaust valves
Gr-2 Exhaust system

Titanium alloys are widely used in biomedical implants. [24] The use of titanium
alloys as biomaterials is due to their reduced elasticity, high biocompatibility and increased
resistance to corrosion compared to conventional stainless steel and Co-Cr alloys [32].
Technically pure titanium (Gr-1, 2, 3, 4) and alloy Ti-6AI-4V are the most widely used
titanium materials in medicine [2].
The data presented in [1, 2, 6, 12] show the application of these materials in various
fields of medicine for dental implants, hip and knee prostheses, trauma-fixing equipment
(nails, screws), medical instruments, heart valves, pacemakers and many other [11].
Recently in this field some beta alloys without vanadium, and aluminum as Ti-6Al-7Nb and
Ti-5AI-2.5Fe, Ti-13Nb-13Zr, Ti-12Mo-6Zr-2Fe are widely used [2]. Besides better
biocompatibility, they have the additional advantages over the Ti-6AI-4V, such as a high
strength wear and a lower modulus of elasticity [15].

CONCLUSIONS
The data presented in the classification, properties and application of titanium and its
alloys allow making the following important conclusions:

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НАУЧНИ ТРУДОВЕ НА РУСЕНСКИЯ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ - 2016, том 55, серия 2
1. The use of titanium and titanium alloys in recent years has increased significantly
due to the development of methods related to their production, further processing and their
advantages over other materials.
2. The basic classification of titanium alloys is according to their microstructure in the
annealed state, and on the basis of this they are divided into alpha and near alpha alloys,
alpha - beta and beta alloys. Those with additional indication "ELI" are produced with
extremely low content of harmful impurities and are used primarily in cryogenic equipment.
3. Nowadays more than 100 species of titanium alloys are known and only 20 ... 30 of
them find practical application. About 70% of the used titanium alloys in US belongs to the
group of alpha-beta alloys, as 56% of the total consumption is of the alloy Ti-6Al -4V (Gr-5,
Gr-5ELI), which makes it the most widely used material based on titanium.
4. Titanium and its alloys are used in a number of areas, as the main customers are
aerospace, automotive and medicine.

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Contacts:
Assoc. prof PhD Danail Gospodinov, Department of Materials science and
Technology, University of Ruse, е-mail: dgospodinov@uni-ruse.bg
PhD Nikolay Ferdinandov, Department of Materials science and Technology,
University of Ruse, е-mail: nferdinandov@uni-ruse.bg
Eng. Stoyan Dimitrov, PhD student, Department of Materials science and
Technology, University of Ruse, е-mail: sdimitrov@uni-ruse.bg

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