What is special about Titanium Alloy?
High Cost of Titanium Alloys
- Low chemical reactivity at high temperatures necessitates stringent smelting techniques
- Smelting must occur under high temperatures and vacuum conditions (often exceeding 800°C)
- More challenging than iron and steel smelting processes
Special Applications of Titanium Alloys
- High-end metal materials with unique properties (lightweight, high strength, high-temperature resistance)
- Used in the aerospace industry (essential national assets)
- Manufacturing of cutting-edge weaponry
Anwendungen von Titanlegierungen
Chemical Industry
- Alkali Production:
- Titanium coolers improve chlorine gas output quality by addressing issues from traditional cooling processes.
- They have a lifespan of up to 20 years, transforming the production landscape of the chlor-alkali industry.
- Salt Production:
- Titanium-steel composite structures in heating and evaporation chambers prevent salt scale formation.
- This enhances salt production quality, reduces corrosion on pipe walls, and extends maintenance intervals for vacuum salt production processes.
Aerospace Industry
Extensive use in aircraft structures:
- landing gear components, frames, fuselage skins, and thermal shields.
High-strength applications:
- Landing gear and load-bearing beams:
- Il-76 aircraft: BT22 Titanlegierung
- Boeing 747: Ti-6Al-4V (main landing gear drive beam – 6.2m long, 0.95m wide, 1545kg)
C-17 horizontal stabilizer pivot:
- Ti-62222S titanium alloy (critical components)
Aircraft engine components:
- Compressor discs, blades, casings, high-pressure compressor rotors and casings.
Example:
- Boeing 747-8GENX engine – titanium alloy protective sleeves on fan blades (only 3 replacements in 10 years).
Titanium Alloys in the Space Industry
- Ideal material for spacecraft due to extreme working conditions
- Used in Apollo spacecraft cabin, wings, and ribs (Ti-5al-2.5Sn)
- European Alpha communication satellite fuel tank (high-strength Ti-15V-3Cr alloy)
- Russian space engineering: large forgings (BT23 titanium alloy) in Energy carrier launch vehicle
- Anwendungen: liquid fuel rocket engine tanks, low-temperature storage tanks, liquid hydrogen pump impellers
Titanium Alloys in Maritime Applications
- Extensive use in submarines, submersibles, icebreakers, hydrofoils, hovercraft, and minesweepers
- Anwendungen: propellers, antennas, pipelines, condensers, Wärmetauscher, acoustic devices, firefighting equipment
- Examples:
- US “Sea Cliff” deep submersible – titanium cabins for 6100m depth
- Japan’s “Molishiten II” all-titanium fast boat
