Titanium: Product Focus and Applications

Strong, lightweight and resistant to corrosion, titanium is a popular choice for applications in a range of high-pressure fields. These include electric power production, seawater desalination, construction, biomedical engineering, vehicle manufacture, and offshore engineering. It also has a range of uses in daily life, from sports equipment to watches & jewellery, as well as IT and computing.

Titanium is produced using the Kroll process, in which naturally occurring titanium ore is treated with carbon and chlorine. This produces titanium tetrachloride, which in turn is distilled and then reduced with magnesium. Titanium is highly versatile in its own right, but it also performs extremely well when combined with other metals, enhancing their properties and bringing its own strengths to the mix. That’s why you’ll find titanium in many of the nickel alloys supplied by Corrotherm, including INCONEL alloy 925 and INCOLOY alloy 825, which we have previously explored on this blog.

Here are just some of the fields in which titanium and its alloys excel.

Maritime

Titanium’s outstanding resistance to seawater corrosion is what makes it a standard choice in desalination and offshore engineering. It’s also a prime material in maritime applications. To take just one example, shipbuilders use titanium and titanium alloys in designing hulls, valves, pipes, pumps and other components. This helps to extend the operative life of naval and merchant ships, which can otherwise be shortened by corrosion. The acoustic properties of titanium alloys also make them useful in manufacturing sonar equipment.

Chemical and petrochemical processing

Corrosion resistance is also key in the chemical and petrochemical industries, and here, too, titanium and its alloys play a leading role. Process vessels, heat exchangers, valves and tanks are often made from welded titanium, while high-strength titanium alloys are well suited to oil and gas downhole applications.

Pulp and paper processing

Unalloyed titanium, specifically Grade 2 titanium, is a stalwart of the paper-making industry due to the corrosive media involved. As with other applications, the relatively high initial cost of titanium is more than worth it: titanium components are more reliable, require less maintenance and last longer. Accordingly, you’ll find them used at almost every stage of the production process.

Pollution control

Sulphur dioxide emission is a major issue when it comes to industrial pollution, especially in fossil-fuelled power plants. Here, too, titanium’s durability and corrosion resistance are a boon. Stacks and chimneys are lined with titanium sheets to facilitate wet scrubbing – a process in which corrosive materials such as seawater are used to scrub away flue gases.

Power plants and waste disposal

Titanium’s high strength, low reactivity and incredible corrosion resistance make it a natural choice for managing hazardous or corrosive waste – even nuclear waste. In power plants, titanium condenser pipes are lighter, thinner and more resistant, with improved safety, lower maintenance, better heat transfer and a longer useful life compared to other metals.

Visit our Grades section to discover the full range of titanium alloys offered by Corrotherm. If you think a titanium alloy might be of benefit to your project, please contact a member of our sales team.