Titanium is an important structural metal developed in the 1950s. Titanium alloy has the characteristics of low density, high specific strength, good corrosion resistance, low thermal conductivity, non-toxic and non-magnetic properties, weldability, good biocompatibility, and strong surface decoration. It is widely used in aviation, aerospace, chemical, petroleum, power, medical, construction, sports equipment, and other fields. Many countries around the world have recognized the importance of titanium alloy materials and have conducted research and development on them, which have been practically applied.
There are significant regional differences in the demand structure for titanium products. In North America and the European Union, particularly in the United States, which have developed aerospace and military defense industries, about 50% of the demand for titanium products comes from the aerospace and military defense sectors. In Japan, industrial titanium from chemical and other industries dominates the demand. According to the Japan Titanium Association, aerospace only accounts for 2% -3% of Japan's titanium demand. Similar to the situation in Japan, the majority of demand for titanium products in China comes from the chemical and energy sectors, with aerospace accounting for only 10%. Although China has become one of the world's largest producers and consumers of titanium metal, most of its production has been limited to lower grade titanium for use in bicycle frames, golf clubs, or anti-corrosion pipes used in the chemical industry. However, in recent years, the amount of titanium used in aerospace has shown significant growth in the Asian region, indicating that the prospects of the titanium market are relatively bright.
Aerospace field
The use of titanium in the aerospace industry is mainly concentrated in Western countries, especially the United States, where 60% of titanium materials are used in this field. Asian countries, Japan, and China all invest around 10% in titanium in this field. However, in recent years, with the rapid development of Asian aerospace, the consumption of titanium in the aerospace industry will also increase. From a global perspective, the aviation industry plays a decisive role in the titanium market. Historically, the major cycles of the titanium industry have been closely related to the heating and cooling of the aviation industry.
In 2011, the global production of titanium materials reached 148000 tons, of which about 64000 tons were used for commercial aviation. The demand for air transportation in the future is still huge due to global economic growth, and it is expected that about 30000 new aircraft will be added in the next 20 years. At the same time, the demand for titanium for new aircraft is higher than that of old aircraft. It is expected that the average demand for titanium materials for commercial aircraft will reach 40 tons per aircraft within 20 years; Based on this calculation, the global demand for titanium materials in the commercial aviation sector will increase by about 1.2 million tons in the next 20 years, with a compound annual growth rate of about 17%. On average, there will be an increase of 60000 tons of titanium material demand per year, and the titanium material field for civil aviation will show rapid growth. New opportunities will also emerge in the military aviation field; Due to the tense global geopolitical situation, military spending in various countries around the world has increased, and new demand is expected to emerge in the military aviation sector.
Civil Aircraft
The main uses of titanium alloy in aircraft are as follows:
(1) Reducing structural weight and improving structural efficiency: Advanced combat performance (such as supersonic aircraft) requires the aircraft to have a relatively low structural weight coefficient (i.e., body structural weight/normal takeoff weight), while titanium alloy has the characteristic of strength close to medium strength steel but low density, replacing structural steel and high-temperature alloy, which can significantly reduce structural weight and save costs; Taking the engine as an example, statistical data shows that for every kilogram decrease in the weight of an aircraft engine, the operating cost can be reduced by approximately $220-440.
(2) Meets the requirements for use in high-temperature areas: Titanium alloy has the characteristic of good heat resistance, such as the commonly used Ti-6Al-4V which can work for a long time at 350 ℃. Therefore, it can replace aluminum alloy in high-temperature areas of aircraft (such as the rear fuselage) that cannot meet the requirements due to its high-temperature performance; TC11 can operate for a long time at 500 ℃ and can replace high-temperature alloys and stainless steel in the compressor part of the engine.
(3) Meets the requirements for matching with composite material structures: In order to reduce structural weight and meet stealth requirements, advanced aircraft extensively use composite materials. Titanium alloy and composite materials have good strength and stiffness matching, which can achieve good weight reduction effects. Meanwhile, due to the close potential between the two, it is not easy to cause galvanic corrosion. Therefore, titanium alloy should be used for the corresponding structural components and fasteners.
(4) Meet the requirements of high corrosion resistance and long service life: Titanium alloy has high fatigue life and excellent corrosion resistance, which can improve the corrosion resistance and service life of the structure, and meet the requirements of advanced aircraft and engines for high reliability and long service life.
military aircraft
The development and procurement of military weapons are constantly moving towards lightweight and flexible directions. In order to meet the combat performance requirements of fighter jets, in addition to using advanced design technologies, it is also necessary to use high-performance materials and advanced manufacturing techniques. One of the important measures is to extensively select titanium alloys and improve the application level of advanced titanium alloys. Since the 1960s, the amount of titanium used in foreign military aircraft has been increasing year by year. Currently, the amount of titanium alloy used in various advanced military fighter jets and bombers designed in Europe and America has stabilized at over 20%, and the proportion of titanium used in new aircraft models is significantly increasing.
The automotive industry
Reduce fuel consumption and hazardous waste (CO2 NOX emissions have become one of the main driving forces and directions for technological progress in the automotive industry. Research has shown that lightweight is an effective measure to save fuel and reduce pollution. For every 10% decrease in the quality of a car, fuel consumption can be saved by 8% -10%, and exhaust emissions can be reduced by 10%. In terms of driving, the acceleration performance of cars has been improved after being lightweight, and vehicle control stability, noise, and vibration have also been improved. From the perspective of collision safety, after the car is lightweight, the inertia during collisions is small and the braking distance is reduced.
The preferred way to lightweight automobiles is to replace traditional automotive materials (steel) with lightweight materials with high specific strength, such as aluminum, magnesium, titanium, etc. In 2009, the global amount of titanium used in automobiles reached 3000 tons. The application of titanium in racing cars has a history of many years. Currently, almost all racing cars use titanium materials, and the amount of titanium used in Japanese cars has exceeded 600 tons. With the development of the global automotive industry, the amount of titanium used in cars is still increasing rapidly.
The advantages of using titanium in cars include: reducing weight and reducing fuel consumption; Improve power transmission efficiency and reduce noise; Reduce vibration and reduce component loads; Improve the durability and environmental protection of the car.
Medical industry
Titanium has a wide range of applications in the medical field. Titanium is close to human bones and has good biocompatibility and no toxic side effects on human tissues. Human implants are special functional materials closely related to human life and health. Compared with other metal materials, the advantages of using titanium and titanium alloys mainly include the following: 1. Lightweight; 2. Low elastic modulus; 3 non-magnetic; 4. Non toxicity; 5. Corrosion resistance; 6. High strength and good toughness. The amount of titanium alloy used in surgical implants is increasing at a rate of 5% -7% per year. Hundreds of metal parts, including the femoral head, hip joint, humerus, skull, knee joint, elbow joint, shoulder joint, metacarpophalangeal joint, jawbone, as well as heart and kidney membranes, vascular dilators, splints, prostheses, and fastening screws, made of titanium and titanium alloy, have been transplanted into the human body and have achieved good results, receiving high praise from the medical community.
Chemical industry
Titanium has excellent corrosion resistance, mechanical properties, and process performance, and is widely used in many sectors of the national economy. Especially in chemical production, titanium is used instead of stainless steel, nickel based alloys, and other rare metals as corrosion-resistant materials. This is of great significance in increasing production, improving product quality, extending equipment service life, reducing consumption, lowering energy consumption, lowering costs, preventing pollution, improving working conditions, and increasing labor productivity.
Titanium metal has become one of the main anti-corrosion materials in chemical equipment and has established its corrosion resistance status in chemical plants. As an ideal material in chemical equipment, titanium is increasingly attracting the attention of engineering and technical personnel.
After years of promotion, titanium and its alloys have been widely used as excellent corrosion-resistant structural materials in chemical production. At present, the application of titanium equipment has expanded from the initial pure alkali and caustic soda industries to industries such as chlorate, ammonium chloride, urea, organic synthesis, dyes, inorganic salts, pesticides, synthetic fibers, fertilizers, and fine chemicals. The types of equipment have evolved from small and single to large and diverse.
The survey results show that titanium heat exchangers account for 57%, titanium anodes account for 20%, titanium containers account for 16%, and others account for 7%. In the chemical industry, "two alkalis" are mainly used, and titanium heat exchangers are the most commonly used in chemical equipment.
In recent years, the production technology of titanium materials in China has improved rapidly, with rapid growth in aerospace titanium, military titanium, automotive titanium, etc. Especially in the aerospace field, there is a trend to catch up with and surpass chemical titanium. Overall, the technological content of titanium used in chemical industry is low, and the added value of products is low. The proportion of titanium used in chemical industry will inevitably gradually decrease.
Ocean engineering
With the development of science and technology and the increasing depletion of land resources, human development and utilization of the ocean have been put on the agenda. Titanium has excellent corrosion resistance to seawater and is widely used in fields such as seawater desalination, ships, ocean thermal energy development, and seabed resource extraction.
As early as the 1960s, China had already begun research on the application of titanium and titanium alloys in ships and marine engineering equipment, and had done a lot of work. A ship titanium alloy system with a variety of grades, different properties, and complete specifications had been basically formed. Due to the inherent characteristics of titanium and titanium alloys, they have unique advantages in the application of ships and marine equipment, and are widely used in nuclear submarines, deep submersibles, atomic energy icebreakers, hydrofoil ships, hovercraft, minesweepers, propeller thrusters, marine water pipelines, condensers, heat exchangers, etc.
In terms of ship applications, the amount of titanium used in China's ships is currently very small, accounting for less than 1% of the total weight of ships. The development potential of titanium and titanium alloys for ships and marine equipment is enormous. In addition, in terms of seawater desalination and coastal power plants, due to the huge demand in the current seawater desalination and coastal power plant market in China, the market application prospects of titanium will be very broad while further reducing the cost of titanium alloys and improving product quality stability.
daily life
Titanium is widely used in daily life and can be said to be ubiquitous, such as golf balls, bicycle frames, tennis rackets, wheelchairs, glasses frames, etc.
Titanium, with its lightweight and high strength characteristics, has gradually expanded its application in sports equipment from the earliest tennis rackets and badminton rackets to golf heads, clubs, and racing cars. In 2008, sports and leisure accounted for 13% of the total consumption in China, with the use of titanium in golf clubs and golf heads alone exceeding 1000 tons. The bicycle frame made of titanium alloy is also very popular, and currently there are nearly 50 companies producing titanium bicycles. The United States is already the largest producer and consumer of titanium bicycles. The lightweight characteristics of titanium are also applied to eyeglass frames, and titanium is not easily allergic to the skin. Moreover, the surface of titanium can have brilliant colors after anodizing, so it has been used in eyeglass frames since the early 1980s.
In recent years, the application of titanium in human daily life has been continuously expanding and developing rapidly, and the application technology is also becoming more mature and perfect. In terms of daily life applications of titanium, the United States and Japan are at the forefront.
