Recognized as one of the most popular alloys in the titanium industry, Ti-6AL-4V, or Grade 5, accounts for almost half of the titanium used in the world today. Commonly referred to as Ti 6-4, this designation refers to its chemical composition of almost 90% titanium, 6% aluminum, 4% vanadium, 0.25% (max) iron and 0.2% (max) oxygen.
Along with the rise of modern super alloys, the titanium metal industry was spurred along by the rapid development of the aerospace industry from the 1950’s onward. Not surprisingly, the most common market for Ti 6-4 is aerospace. Its properties made it lightweight yet strong, capable of withstanding conditions found in turbines, rocket thrusters and spacecraft components.
This lightweight titanium is well suited for applications such as compressor blades, discs, and rings for jet engines; airframe components; pressure vessels; rocket engine cases; as well as helicopter rotor hubs and critical forgings requiring high strength-to-weight ratios. Ti-6AL-4V titanium round bar stock is also age hardenable by heat treatment to achieve even higher strengths. Forged and heat-treated titanium variants like Ti-6Al-4V are suitable for high temperatures and have excellent fatigue strength, low modulus, high corrosion resistance, and a superior strength to weight ratio thanks to the addition of vanadium and aluminum.
Nearly half or more of all titanium produced in this decade went into production of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, which used 8 of the Ti-6Al-4V enhanced engines. Ti-6Al-4V became a major component of Pratt & Whitney’s J-57 engine used in Lockheed’s U-2, an ultra-high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. This turbojet engine replaced steel with the Ti-6-4 alloy in blades and disks, saving over 200 pounds of weight per engine.
While aerospace and submarine applications dominated titanium demand for many years, other industries have found uses for this metal. This biocompatible material is also well suited for medical implants. Its mechanical and physical properties allow good capacity for titanium to join with bones and other tissue. Medical and dental implants are another common use, where Ti-6Al-4V has been used in implants since mid-last century. It is hypoallergenic, nickel-free, and well tolerated by the body.
Titanium, when exposed to oxygen, produces a thin layer of oxide film providing high resistance to corrosion. It is popular in chemical processing and marine environments, such as found in offshore oil and gas operations, where it resists pitting and crevice corrosion.
An extremely versatile material, this titanium alloy is used in many different forms, from bar and plate to sheet metal applications and coil. The supply of titanium comes from deposits around the world, in geopolitically stable regions, and is the 9th most abundant element in the earth’s crust. This means commercial production for titanium mills is readily available to supply Titanium and its popular alloys like Ti-6-4. Extreme demand for this alloy is driven mainly by the aerospace industry in North America and Europe, with industrial applications behind it, and consumer and medical applications consuming a smaller market share.
The cost per pound (or cost per kilogram) of titanium is typically higher than other common metals, thanks to the cost of extraction and processing. Despite the increased material cost, titanium is often more cost effective when considering the reliability, engineering advantages, and life cycle of titanium parts and products.
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