Titanium
Titanium is an attractive engineering material because of its low density, excellent corrosion resistance and the high strengths that can be obtained through alloying. There are a number of popular commercially pure grades of titanium available. These range in purity from 99.1% to 99.5%, and contain small amounts of residual elements such as iron, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. Even though these elements are present in small amounts they have a significant effect on mechanical properties. Commercially pure titanium has relatively low strength and is most commonly used where corrosion resistance is of prime importance such as in heat exchanger components for use in salt water. Alloys of very high specific strength can be obtained with appropriate additions, making these materials ideal for applications in the aerospace industry. Alloys such as Ti, 4% Al, 4% Mo, 2% Sn, 0.5% Si can be found in airframe components such as wings, flaps and engine pylons. Enhanced high temperature strength and oxidation resistance can also be developed with appropriate alloying. These alloys find application in jet engines as blades and discs, such as Ti, 6% Al, 4% V.
|
