Why you should use titanium in your next project
Grade:
Titanium is classified into two categories: commercially pure titanium (Ti) which is used in the chemical process industries and titanium alloys having additives as aluminum and vanadium which are used in jet aircraft engines.
All titanium sheets and coils that are used as building materials are made of commercially pure titanium.
Features and advantages:
- Excellent corrosion resistance- Titanium is more resistant than any other metal to common atmospheric environments such as marine and acid rain environments. As a building material, titanium is free from pitting corrosion crevice corrosion or stress corrosion cracking.
- Environmental Protection- Titanium is used as a material for surgical implants and dental plates attesting to the non-toxicity of titanium of the metal to humans and animals. The non-toxicity of titanium is a result of its excellent corrosion resistance. As a result, there is no risk that is will contaminate rainwater.
- Lightweight- Titaniums specific gravity is 4.5, or around %50 that of copper and %60 that of iron making titanium suitable for use in structural frames.
- Suitability as a building material- Titanium has officially been recognized as a non-combustable material. Titanium has a smaller thermal expansion and shrinkage that stainless steel. Titanium has a linear coefficient of thermal expansion approximately %50 that of stainless steel.
- Key points for good fabrication- Titanium has strength and hardness comparable to carbon steel. With a Young's modulus only half that of carbon steel, titanium is soft and readily formed, but it's springback is greater than carbon steel's. Titanium can be spot-welded or seam-welded in the air, and can be used to render a structure. In addition, there is no concern of corrosion in the heat-affected zone and welded portion.
| Commercially pure titanium | Iron | Stainless Steel | Aluminum Alloy | Copper | |
| Specific gravity | 4.5 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 2.7 | 8.9 |
| Melting Point ºC | 1,668 | 15,530 | 1,400 ~ 1,420 | 593 ~ 649 | 1,083 |
| Coefficient of linear thermal expansion | 8.4 x 10(-6) | 12 x 10(-6) | 17 x 10(-6) | 24 x 10(-6) | 17 x 10(-6) |