Titanium Alloy Grades Are Actually Easy To Understand

Write in the beginning:

    This is an article on literacy. Don't talk about complex formulas, and don't talk about obscure principles. You only need to spend 5 minutes reading it, and you will not be at a loss when you see the names TA2(Gr2), TC4(Gr5), Ti-6Al-4V(Gr5), and Ti80 in the future. Titanium alloy grades look like codes, but there are rules behind them. Today we will learn the first step: how to look.

I. Titanium alloy grade, why is it like an "ID card"?

    When you go to the vegetable market to buy meat, you say "give me a piece of pork belly", and the boss understands it in seconds. But if you say "give me some TC4", or "I want Ti62A", the boss will most likely be stunned. Titanium alloy grades are like this. In professional circles, a few letters and numbers can convey a lot of information. But to the average reader, it is like a string of heavenly codes. In fact, it's not that mysterious. You can understand the titanium alloy grade as the "ID card" of the material. It can't tell you all the information, but it can tell you at least three things: what kind of titanium material it probably belongs to; What is its performance propensity; Which application scenarios it may be suitable for. Today, remember three groups of starting letters: TA, TB, and TC. After understanding these three, you will understand half of the titanium alloy grade first.

II. TA, TB, TC, the initial letters hide the character of the material

    The common grades of titanium and titanium alloys in China usually start with T. T stands for titanium. The latter A, B, and C are related to the phase structure of the titanium alloy. There is no need to be intimidated by "phase structure" here. You can simply understand it first: the arrangement of atoms in titanium alloys is different, and the characteristics of materials are also different.

  1. TA, stable and corrosion-resistant type

    TA includes industrial pure titanium and some α-type and near-α-type titanium alloys. The most important feature of this type of material is its stability. They are generally resistant to corrosion, and some brands are stable at higher temperatures. But they don't have to be strong, and they don't have to be the best processed. You can think of TA as a stable and honest person. Not necessarily the best to fight, but reliable, durable, and suitable for service. Common applications include: chemical equipment; Heat exchanger; Seawater components; Titanium cups, titanium tableware and other civil products. For example, TA1, TA2, and TA3 are common industrial pure titanium grades. They are not "low-end materials", but are very practical in corrosion-resistant scenarios.

  2. TB, flexible and high-strength type

    TB corresponds to β-type titanium alloy. This type of material is characterized by: After treatment, it can be very strong, but also has the ability to form. They are a bit like athletes who can "bend and carry". It can not only be processed into complex shapes, but also undertake high-intensity tasks in special occasions. Common applications include: high-strength fasteners; spring; Special stress-bearing structural parts. However, the cost of TB titanium alloys is often high, and the application area is not as popular as TC4. It's not an everyday protagonist, but it's useful in key locations.

  3. TC, comprehensive omnipotent

    TC corresponds to α β titanium alloys, also known as duplex titanium alloys. It takes into account strength, plasticity, workability and thermal stability. Therefore, in engineering applications, TC is very common. The most famous is TC4. It is almost the "snake oil" in the titanium alloy world. It can be seen in structural parts, medical implants, sports equipment, and 3D printed titanium alloy parts. In one sentence remember:

    TA looks more at stability and corrosion resistance, TB looks more at high strength and special purposes, and TC looks more at comprehensive performance.

III. Is the larger the number, the higher it is?

    When many people see TA1, TA2, TA3, or TC4, TC11, TC21, they subconsciously think: the larger the number, the more advanced it is? The idea is natural, but not quite right. The numbers in the grade are more serial numbers or alloy system codes. It can help distinguish between different materials, but it cannot be simply understood as "the bigger the number, the stronger". Take industrial pure titanium as an example. TA1, high purity, less impurities, relatively soft material, good corrosion resistance. TA2, with slightly higher strength than TA1, is a pure titanium widely used in industry. TA3, the strength will be further improved, but the plasticity will be reduced. Does TA3 have to be better than TA1? Not necessarily. To make titanium cups, titanium tableware, and corrosion-resistant sheets, use TA1 or TA2 to be very good. If you make aircraft load-bearing structural parts, the strength of pure titanium is not enough, and titanium alloys such as TC4 should usually be considered. The material is not absolutely advanced, only whether it is suitable. It's like driving. F1 racing cars are of course very strong, but when you go to the vegetable market to buy vegetables, ordinary family cars are even better. You can't say that family cars are "low-end", it just serves different scenarios. The same is true for titanium alloys. TA1 is not suitable for high-strength load-bearing parts, but it is very valuable in corrosion-resistant scenarios. TC4 has high strength and good comprehensive performance, but making daily titanium cups is a bit "killing chickens with a bull-knife".

IV. Ti-6Al-4V, Ti80, what do these words mean?

    You will see another class of names besides TA, TB, TC: Ti-6Al-4V, Ti-3Al-2.5 V, Ti80, Ti62A. They look more like chemical formulas. This type of writing usually puts more emphasis on composition or performance system.

    Ti-6Al-4V, the main composition can be seen at a glance

    Take Ti-6Al-4V as an example. Ti, for titanium; 6Al, representing approximately 6% aluminum; 4V, representing approximately 4% vanadium; The rest of the big head is titanium. This is what we often call TC4. Therefore, TC4, Ti-6Al-4V, and Grade 5 often point to the same classic titanium alloy. It's just that different countries, different standards, and different contexts have different names. It's like a person has an ID name, an English name, and a nickname. The name is different, but the person may be the same person. Of course, engineering cannot rely solely on "possibilities". When purchasing and using, it also depends on the standard, state, composition range, mechanical properties and testing requirements. We will expand on this in the next article.

    Ti80, Ti62A, more reflect specific application requirements

    Brands like Ti80 and Ti62A are often related to China's independent high-end titanium alloys. They are not random names, but correspond to specific performance goals and application scenarios. For example, Ti80 is often associated with marine engineering, deep-sea equipment, and high-strength, toughness, and corrosion-resistant structures. Ti62A is often discussed in high-end load-bearing structures and domestic high-performance titanium alloy systems. Behind this type of brand, it is often not just a change in composition, but a change in the entire material design idea. From "can it be made" to "can it be an extreme scene". This is also an important symbol of China's titanium alloy moving from general-purpose materials to high-end equipment materials.

V. Remember the common grades first with a table

    This watch is not required to be memorized at one time. You just need to establish a feeling that different brands are not meant to be complicated, but because they are going to different places. Some go to chemical plants. Some go to the plane. Some go into the body. Some go to the deep sea. Some go to the high temperature area of the engine. Behind the brand is actually the fate of the material.