Уникальные свойства и характеристики титановых сплавов

Historical Journey of Titanium Discovery and Application

Since the discovery of titanium in 1790, люди предприняли многовековой трудный поиск по использованию его необычайных свойств.. В 1910, металлический титан был получен впервые, но путь к его применению в сплавах был долгим и трудным., достижение только промышленного производства 40 years later, in 1951.

China began research and application of титановый сплав processing in the 1960s.

Properties and Applications of Titanium Alloys

Titanium alloys possess:

• High strength-to-weight ratio
• Коррозионная стойкость
• High-temperature resistance
• Fatigue resistance

The weight of a titanium alloy of the same size is only 60% of that of steel, yet it has higher strength than alloy steel. Due to these excellent properties, titanium alloys are frequently used in the medical field, such as for artificial joints, bone fixation devices, and dental prostheses.

Aerospace Applications

Titanium alloys are widely used in aircraft structural components and heat-resistant parts, one of the main structural materials for modern aircraft and engines, earning the title of “space metal.”

Challenges in Processing Titanium Alloys

Однако, titanium alloys are like a fiery, untamed steed. To achieve the goal of harnessing it, one must first tame its wild nature. So, how can titanium alloys be “tamed”?

Thermal Conductivity and Hardness Issues

Titanium alloys have poor thermal conductivity, high hardness, and are prone to springback. Poor thermal conductivity means that during the custom processing of titanium alloys, the heat generated from friction accumulates rather than dissipates quickly, as it would with other metals, like the pots we use daily. This accumulation of heat makes titanium alloys sticky, causing the cutting tools to become brittle and wear out quickly, or even break, akin to cutting through rubber.

Processing Challenges

The high hardness of titanium alloys makes them more challenging to process than aluminum alloys used in aircraft. The time taken to process one meter of titanium alloy can be used to process 25 meters of aluminum alloy, and aluminum is less damaging to tools. Однако, aluminum cannot meet the required strength, making the challenging processing of titanium alloys essential. Moreover, the significant springback of titanium alloys affects machining precision, especially for thin-walled and complex-shaped parts, making the process even more difficult.

Advances in Titanium Alloy Processing

With the maturation of titanium alloy processing technology, continuous improvements in equipment and tools have enabled stable machining of ultra-large structural parts and precision complex components. Machining precision can now be maintained at 0.2 мм, with some areas achieving 0.1 мм, equivalent to the thickness of an A4 paper or even finer, significantly enhancing processing efficiency.

Techniques to Tame Titanium Alloys

Techniques developed to tame this fiery steed include:

• High-force milling
• Shallow-depth high-speed milling
• Superplastic forming in sheet metal processing
• Air agitation in chemical milling
• Rapid small-current welding in welding processes

Future Prospects

Only by taming this steed can titanium alloys be used in aerospace equipment manufacturing. With the ongoing research and exploration by the vast number of scientists in the aerospace industry, our understanding of titanium alloys will deepen, and we will have more means to tame this steed, contributing even more significantly to our aerospace endeavors!