Perforated Metal – Titanium & Titanium Alloys

Titanium perforated metal has the best strength to weight ratio among metals.It is 40% lighter than steel and 60% heavier than aluminum. The combination of high strength and low weight makes titanium a very useful structural metal in applications of perforated sheet metal such as in aircraft and sporting equipment.

The good corrosion resistance experienced in many environments is based on titanium’s ability to form a stable oxide protective layer. Some of the applications making use of this property are chemical processing, desalination, power generation equipment, valve and pump parts, marine hardware, and prosthetic devices.

Unalloyed (commercially pure) titanium can be found in two crystallographic forms:

• Hexagonal close-packed (hcp) or alpha (a) phase is found at room temperature
• Body centered cubic (bcc) or beta (β) phase is found above 883 °C (1621 °F)

One of the primary effect of alloying elements used in titanium production is the effect on the alpha to beta transformation temperature. Some elements raise the alpha to beta transformation temperature thereby stabilizing the alpha crystal structure. While other elements lower the alpha to beta transformation temperature thereby stabilizing the beta crystal structure. Titanium alloys are categorized as either alpha (a) alloys, beta (β) alloys, or alpha+beta (a+β) alloys.

Commercially Pure Metal Alloys

For perforated titanium sheet metal, you can select from five grades of what is known as commercially pure or unalloyed titanium, ASTM Grades 1 through 4, and 7. Each grade has a different amount of impurity content, with Grade 1 being the most pure. Tensile strengths vary from 172 MPa for Grade 1 to 483 MPa for Grade 4.

Alpha Alloys

Titanium alpha alloys typically contain aluminum and tin but can also contain other elements. They cannot be strengthened by heat treatment, but they are weldable and have a creep resistance superior to beta alloys, and are commonly used for perforated metal panels for cryogenic applications, airplane parts, and chemical processing equipment.

Beta Alloys

The smallest group of titanium alloys, beta alloys have good hardenability, good cold formability when they are solution-treated, and high strength when they are aged. Beta alloys are slightly more dense than other titanium alloys, having densities ranging from 4840 to 5060 kg/m 3 . They are the least creep resistant alloys, they are weldable, and can have yield strengths up to 1345 MPa. They are used for heavier duty purposes on aircraft.

Alpha-Beta Alloys

Alpha-beta alloys can be strengthened by heat treatment and aging, and therefore can undergo manufacturing while the material is still ductile, then undergo heat treatment to strengthen the material, which is a big advantage. Peforated sheet metal using these alloys are used in aircraft and aircraft turbine parts, chemical processing equipment, marine hardware, and prosthetic devices.