Aerospace Materials

Assignment 1

Titanium Metal
And it's Application in
Aerospace industry

Submitted to

Mr Sajid Ullah

Submitted by

Malik Bilal Ahmed

Department

BE –07 (Aero)

Date of Submission:
May 5th, 2011
Metals
Metals account for about two thirds of all the elements and about 24% of the mass of the
planet. Metals have useful properties including strength, ductility, high melting points, thermal
and electrical conductivity, and toughness. From the periodic table, it can be seen that a large
number of the elements are classified as being a metal. A few of the common metals and their
typical uses are presented below.

Common Metallic Materials

 Iron/Steel - Steel alloys are used for strength critical applications

 Aluminum - Aluminum and its alloys are used because they are easy to form, readily
available, inexpensive, and recyclable.
 Copper - Copper and copper alloys have a number of properties that make them useful,
including high electrical and thermal conductivity, high ductility, and good corrosion
resistance.
 Titanium - Titanium alloys are used for strength in higher temperature (~1000° F)
application, when component weight is a concern, or when good corrosion resistance is
required
 Nickel - Nickel alloys are used for still higher temperatures (~1500-2000° F) applications
or when good corrosion resistance is required.
 Refractory materials are used for the highest temperature (> 2000° F) applications.

The key feature that distinguishes metals from non-metals is their bonding. Metallic materials
have free electrons that are free to move easily from one atom to the next. The existence of
these free electrons has a number of profound consequences for the properties of metallic
materials. For example, metallic materials tend to be good electrical conductors because the
free electrons can move around within the metal so freely. More on the structure of metals will
be discussed later.

Titanium
Introduction

( /taɪˈteɪniəm/ ty-TAY-nee-əm) is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22.
It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant (including sea water, aqua regia
and chlorine) transition metal with a silver color

Discovery of Titanium

Titanium was discovered in Cornwall, United Kingdom of Great Britain, by William Gregor in
1791 and named by Martin Heinrich Klaproth for the Titans of Greek mythology

Description

The element occurs within a number of mineral deposits, principally rutile and ilmenite, which
are widely distributed in the Earth's crust and lithosphere, and it is found in almost all living
things, rocks, water bodies, and soils. The metal is extracted from its principal mineral ores via
the Kroll process or the Hunter process. Its most common compound, titanium dioxide, is a
popular photocatalyst and is used in the manufacture of white pigments. Other compounds
include titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), a component of smoke screens and catalysts; and
titanium trichloride (TiCl3), which is used as a catalyst in the production of polypropylene.
Properties
Physical Propertie

Titanium is known for its high strength-to-weight ratio. It is a strong metal with low density that
is quite ductile (especially in an oxygen-free environment), lustrous, and metallic-white in color.
The relatively high melting point (more than 1,650 °C or 3,000 °F) makes it useful as a refractory
metal. It is paramagnetic and has fairly low electrical and thermal conductivity. it is fairly hard
(although not as hard as some grades of heat-treated steel), non-magnetic and a poor
conductor of heat and electricity. Machining requires precautions, as the material will soften
and gall if sharp tools and proper cooling methods are not used. Like those made from steel,
titanium structures have a fatigue limit which guarantees longevity in some applications.
Titanium alloys specific stiffnesses are also usually not as good as other materials such as
aluminum alloys and carbon fiber, so it is used less for structures which require high rigidity.

Chemical properties
The most common chemical property of titanium is its excellent resistance to corrosion; it is
almost as resistant as platinum, capable of withstanding attack by dilute sulfuric acid and
hydrochloric acid as well as chlorine gas, chloride solutions, and most organic acids. However, it
is soluble in concentrated acids.

However, it is slow to react with water and air, because it forms a passive and protective oxide
coating that protects it from further reaction. It also reacts with the other halogens and absorbs
hydrogen. Experiments have shown that natural titanium becomes radioactive after it is
bombarded with deuterons, emitting mainly positrons and hard gamma rays.

Applications of Titanium

 Titanium is used in steel as an alloying element (Ferro) to reduce grain size and as a
deoxidizer, and in stainless steel to reduce carbon content.
 Titanium is often alloyed with aluminum (to refine grain size), vanadium, copper (to
harden), iron, manganese, molybdenum, and with other metals.
 Applications for titanium mill products (sheet, plate, bar, wire, forgings, castings) can be
found in industrial, aerospace, recreational, and emerging markets.
 Powdered titanium is used in pyrotechnics as a source of bright-burning particles.
Pigments, additives and coatings
 About 95% of titanium ore extracted from the Earth is destined for refinement into
titanium dioxide (TiO2), an intensely white permanent pigment used in paints, paper,
toothpaste, and plastics.
 It is also used in cement, in gemstones, in paper,] and a strengthening agent in graphite
composite fishing rods and golf clubs.
 TiO2 powder is chemically inert, resists fading in sunlight, and is very opaque; this
allows it to impart a pure and brilliant white color to the brown or gray chemicals that
form the majority of household plastics.
 Paint made with titanium dioxide does well in severe temperatures, is somewhat self-
cleaning, and stands up to marine environments.
 Pure titanium dioxide has a very high index of refraction and an optical dispersion
higher than diamond.
 In addition to being a very important pigment, titanium dioxide is also used in
sunscreens due to its ability to protect skin by itself.

Industrial Applications
 Welded titanium pipe and process equipment (heat exchangers, tanks, process vessels,
valves) are used in the chemical and petrochemical industries primarily for corrosion
resistance.
 Specific alloys are used in down hole and nickel hydrometallurgy applications due to
their high strength (e. g.: titanium Beta C alloy), corrosion resistance, or combination of
both.
 The pulp and paper industry uses titanium in process equipment exposed to corrosive
media such as sodium hypochlorite or wet chlorine gas (in the bleacher).
 Other applications include: ultrasonic welding, wave soldering, and sputtering targets.
 Titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), a colorless liquid, is important as an intermediate in the
process of making TiO2 and is also used to produce the Ziegler-Natta catalyst, and is
used to iridize glass and because it fumes strongly in moist air it is also used to make
smoke screens.

Consumer and architectural:

 Titanium metal is used in automotive applications, particularly in automobile or
motorcycle racing, where weight reduction is critical while maintaining high strength
and rigidity.
 The metal is generally too expensive to make it marketable to the general consumer
market, other than high-end products, particularly for the racing/performance market.
  Titanium is used in many sporting goods: tennis rackets, golf clubs, lacrosse stick shafts;
cricket, hockey, lacrosse, and football helmet grills; and bicycle frames and components.
 Although not a mainstream material for bicycle production, titanium bikes have been
used by race teams and adventure cyclists.
 Titanium alloys are also used in spectacle frames.
 This results in a rather expensive, but highly durable and long lasting frame which is
light in weight and causes no skin allergies.
 Many backpackers use titanium equipment, including cookware, eating utensils,
lanterns, and tent stakes.
 Though slightly more expensive than traditional steel or aluminum alternatives, these
titanium products can be significantly lighter without compromising strength.
 Titanium is also favored for use by farriers, since it is lighter and more durable than steel
when formed into horseshoes.

Medical
 Because it is biocompatible (non-toxic and is not rejected by the body), titanium is used
in a numerous medical applications including surgical implements and implants, such as
legs and sockets (joint replacement) that can stay in place for up to 20 years.
 The titanium is often alloyed with about 4% aluminum or 6% Al and 4% vanadium.
 Titanium has the inherent property to osseointegrate, enabling use in dental implants
that can remain in place for over 30 years.
 This property is also useful for orthopedic implant applications.
 These benefit from titanium's lower modulus of elasticity (Young's modulus) to more
closely match that of the bone that such devices are intended to repair.
 Since titanium is non-ferromagnetic, patients with titanium implants can be safely
examined with magnetic resonance imaging (convenient for long-term implants).
 Preparing titanium for implantation in the body involves subjecting it to a high-
temperature plasma arc which removes the surface atoms, exposing fresh titanium that
is instantly oxidized.

Applications of Titanium Aerospace and marine:

 Due to their high tensile strength to density ratio, high corrosion resistance, fatigue
resistance, high crack resistance, and ability to withstand moderately high temperatures
 without creeping, titanium alloys are used in aircraft, armor plating, naval ships,
spacecraft, and missiles.
 For these applications titanium alloyed with aluminum, vanadium, and other elements
is used for a variety of components including critical structural parts, fire walls, landing
gear, exhaust ducts (helicopters), and hydraulic systems.
 In fact, about two thirds of all titanium metal produced is used in aircraft engines and
frames.
 The SR-71 "Blackbird" was one of the first aircraft to make extensive use of titanium
within its structure, paving the way for its use in modern military and commercial
aircraft.
 An estimated 59 metric tons (130,000 pounds) are used in the Boeing 777, 45 in the
Boeing 747, 18 in the Boeing 737, 32 in the Airbus A340, 18 in the Airbus A330, and 12
in the Airbus A320. The Airbus A380 may use 146 metric tons, including about 26 tons in
the engines.
 In engine applications, titanium is used for rotors, compressor blades, hydraulic system
components, and nacelles. The titanium 6AL-4V alloy accounts for almost 50% of all
alloys used in aircraft applications.
 Due to its high corrosion resistance to sea water, titanium is used to make propeller
shafts and rigging and in the heat exchangers of desalination plants; in heater-chillers
for salt water aquariums, fishing line and leader, and for divers' knives.
 Titanium is used to manufacture the housings and other components of ocean-deployed
surveillance and monitoring devices for scientific and military use.
 The former Soviet Union developed techniques for making submarines largely out of
titanium.

References
www.wikiepedia.com
www.google.com
www.titanium.cs.berkeley.edu
www.ndt-ed.org