| Titanium Plate Grade Selection |
| Commercially Pure Titanium Grade 1 | Unalloyed titanium with the highest ductility among the commonly used commercially pure grades. | ASTM B265; EN 10204 documentation may be requested for inspection records. | Density: approximately 4.51 g/cm³
Minimum tensile strength: commonly specified around 240 MPa, depending on product condition | Heat exchangers, chemical-processing equipment, condenser components, and applications requiring excellent formability and corrosion resistance. | - Chemical composition verification
- Tensile and elongation testing
- Plate thickness and flatness inspection
- Surface and edge-condition inspection
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| Commercially Pure Titanium Grade 2 | A balanced commercially pure grade with greater strength than Grade 1 and strong corrosion resistance. | ASTM B265; equivalent product requirements may also be specified under EN or ISO purchasing documents. | Density: approximately 4.51 g/cm³
Minimum tensile strength: commonly specified around 345 MPa, depending on product condition | Desalination equipment, chlor-alkali systems, marine service, chemical vessels, and general industrial fabrication. | - Heat or lot traceability
- Chemical analysis against the ordered grade
- Tensile, yield, and elongation testing
- Visual inspection for laps, cracks, seams, and contamination
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Titanium Grade 5
Ti-6Al-4V | Alpha-beta alloy selected when higher strength-to-weight performance is required. | ASTM B265; aerospace or medical applications may require additional product-specific specifications. | Density: approximately 4.43 g/cm³
Typical wrought annealed tensile strength: about 895 MPa or higher, subject to the applicable specification and product form | Aerospace structures, pressure hardware, marine components, sporting equipment, and high-strength industrial parts. | - Aluminum and vanadium composition control
- Mechanical testing in the rolling direction and, where required, transverse direction
- Microstructure review for heat-treatment conformity
- Ultrasonic inspection when internal discontinuity limits are specified
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Titanium Grade 5 ELI
Ti-6Al-4V Extra Low Interstitial | Lower-interstitial version of Grade 5, used where enhanced fracture toughness, ductility, or biocompatibility requirements apply. | ASTM F136 for surgical implant material; ASTM B265 may apply to general plate procurement when permitted by the design authority. | Density: approximately 4.43 g/cm³
Mechanical values depend on product form, thickness, and the controlling specification | Medical implants, cryogenic components, aerospace structures, and demanding fatigue-service applications. | - Strict control of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and iron
- Heat-lot traceability and complete material certification
- Microstructure and phase-condition verification
- Additional biocompatibility or implant-processing controls where applicable
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Titanium Grade 7
Commercially Pure Titanium with Palladium | Corrosion-enhanced titanium grade for particularly reducing or crevice-corrosive chemical environments. | ASTM B265; application-specific corrosion and fabrication requirements should be added to the purchase order. | Density: approximately 4.52 g/cm³
Strength and elongation are specified according to product condition and governing standard | Chemical-processing equipment, acid service, and environments where improved resistance to localized corrosion is required. | - Palladium content verification
- Corrosion-service compatibility review
- Surface cleanliness and contamination control
- Weldability and post-fabrication inspection planning
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| Global Standards and Documentation |
| Material Product Standard | Define grade, plate or sheet form, thickness range, delivery condition, mechanical properties, and permissible dimensional variation. | ASTM B265 is widely used for titanium and titanium-alloy sheet, plate, and strip. | Mechanical requirements can change with grade, thickness, heat treatment, and rolling direction. | Suitable for cross-border purchasing when the purchase order clearly identifies the exact standard edition and grade. | Request a certificate that lists the standard, grade, heat number, product dimensions, test results, and compliance statement. |
| Inspection Certificate | Choose the required level of material documentation before production begins. | EN 10204:2004 defines inspection-document types such as 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, and 3.2. | Type 3.1 provides specific test results validated by the manufacturer’s authorized inspection representative; Type 3.2 adds independent or purchaser-authorized validation. | Useful for regulated, safety-critical, aerospace, medical, and public-infrastructure supply chains. | Confirm authorized signatory, traceability to the heat or lot, test laboratory identification, and consistency between certificate and physical markings. |
| Quality Management System | Use a supplier with a documented quality system appropriate to the application risk. | ISO 9001 is a general quality-management-system standard; sector-specific requirements may also apply. | Certification demonstrates a management-system framework, not automatic compliance of every plate with a technical specification. | Supports repeat orders, corrective actions, document control, and process consistency across international projects. | Verify certificate validity, scope, issuing body, and whether the certified scope covers metal processing and inspection activities. |
| Quality-Control and Acceptance Considerations |
| Chemical Composition | Test the finished heat or lot against the specified alloy chemistry and interstitial limits. | Use the chemistry limits stated in the applicable ASTM, EN, ISO, AMS, or medical specification. | Critical elements may include aluminum, vanadium, palladium, iron, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and hydrogen, depending on grade. | Essential for preventing grade substitution and for confirming corrosion, strength, ductility, or implant-material performance. | Require heat-based test results, laboratory method identification where needed, and matching heat numbers on certificates and product markings. |
| Mechanical Properties | Specify tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, and any required bend or hardness testing. | Mechanical acceptance values must come from the selected product standard and material condition. | Results vary with grade, thickness, annealing condition, test direction, and specimen location. | Supports structural design, forming, fatigue assessment, and process qualification. | Define test orientation, specimen type, sampling frequency, temperature, and retest rules before manufacture. |
| Ultrasonic Examination | Add ultrasonic testing when internal discontinuities could affect structural integrity or fatigue life. | Specify the applicable purchaser acceptance class and an agreed ultrasonic examination procedure; the exact standard depends on the product and industry. | Ultrasonic inspection can identify certain internal reflectors, but sensitivity depends on thickness, surface condition, frequency, calibration, and geometry. | Aerospace, pressure-containing, thick-section, and safety-critical components. | Define calibration blocks, scan coverage, equipment qualification, report format, and rejectable indications. |
| Surface and Dimensional Inspection | Control thickness, width, length, flatness, squareness, edge condition, surface finish, and allowable repairs. | Use the dimensional tolerances in the selected product standard or an approved drawing and purchase specification. | Flatness and thickness tolerances are product- and thickness-dependent; they should not be assumed from nominal dimensions alone. | Important for CNC machining, forming, welding fit-up, sealing surfaces, and automated fabrication. | Use calibrated gauges, documented sampling plans, controlled lighting for surface inspection, and photographs for nonconforming areas. |
| Foreign-Material Control | Prevent iron, steel, copper, carbon dust, oils, and other contaminants from contacting the titanium surface. | Include cleanliness requirements in the purchase order and fabrication procedure. | Titanium’s corrosion resistance can be compromised locally by embedded iron or unsuitable handling practices, even when bulk chemistry is correct. | Particularly important in chemical, marine, aerospace, medical, and high-temperature service. | Use dedicated or properly cleaned tools, segregated storage, protective packaging, and documented cleaning procedures. |
| Custom Selection Checklist |
| Service Environment | Specify temperature, pressure, fluid chemistry, chloride exposure, galvanic contacts, and expected service life. | Combine the material standard with the project design code and corrosion-control requirements. | Commercially pure grades generally emphasize corrosion resistance and formability; Grade 5 emphasizes strength; Grade 5 ELI emphasizes lower interstitial content and demanding toughness or medical requirements. | Prevents selecting a grade solely by nominal strength or price. | Document the design basis and obtain technical review for unusual chemical, cryogenic, or high-temperature conditions. |
| Fabrication Route | State whether the plate will be laser cut, machined, formed, welded, anodized, coated, or used as a finished component. | Apply the relevant welding, forming, heat-treatment, and inspection procedures in addition to the plate standard. | Grade, thickness, surface condition, residual stress, and heat treatment influence fabrication behavior. | Helps determine the required annealed condition, surface finish, flatness, and machining allowance. | Qualify procedures where required and prevent oxygen or nitrogen pickup during elevated-temperature processing. |
| Traceability and Packaging | Maintain identity from raw material through cutting, processing, inspection, and shipment. | Define marking, certificate, packaging, and preservation requirements in the order documentation. | Traceability normally includes grade, heat number, lot number, dimensions, condition, and inspection status. | Supports audits, recalls, nonconformance investigations, and repeatability across global supply chains. | Use protected packaging, moisture control where appropriate, clear labels, and a document pack matched to each shipment. |
