Which Titanium Alloy?

Rilner

Rilner

Joined
Jan 17, 2016
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Looking to know which grade of Titanium is:

A) Strongest in terms of impact resistance

B) Most corrosion resistant

C) Highest corrosion resistance to impact strength ratio


I'm given to understand that beta phase alloys are both the smallest group of Ti alloys and also the "strongest", although that could mean different things. I've read mention of Grades 19 (Beta C) and 20 being exceptionally strong, but I'm just not sure.
 
This will be an interesting thread.
I know Mission's Beta is some incredible stuff. And, it's proprietary.
I hope mecha shows up.
rolf
 
Let's make it even more interesting by adding another dimension ~ Titanium is supposed to have medical properties in terms of wearing jewellry and such. I was told that any sort of plating or anodizing process would negate those benefits. I'm wondering if pure grades are best for these positive effects, or if alloyed Ti would either ruin that as well or be less desirable, because less actual Titanium would be present.
 
Mecha Ti has martensite so his stuff is tough. Most of the Ti knives available are not the martensite type. Read Mecha's thread about the turbine blade sword -that's TOUGH !!
 
Ive used MISSION's BETA Titanium for many years and have several knives from the company. I couldnt be happier with BETA. Ive used the knives for kayaking, hunting and general camping/'bushcraft' etc.

Easy to sharpen and holds and edge just fine. I use a Lansky sharpener.
 
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On that mission knife. Does it have any bite when cutting? That is why I sold my SM-100 folder. I could cut through paper like it wasn't there, and shave hair as well. When I went to cut something like meat, cloth, braided fishing line, etc., it didn't have enough bite to cut into the material being cut. You wouldn't have to worry about that with a sword or chopper, just with a small cutting blade.
 
Rilner said:
Let's make it even more interesting by adding another dimension ~ Titanium is supposed to have medical properties in terms of wearing jewellry and such. I was told that any sort of plating or anodizing process would negate those benefits. I'm wondering if pure grades are best for these positive effects, or if alloyed Ti would either ruin that as well or be less desirable, because less actual Titanium would be present.
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This isn't true. Titanium is used for medical purposes precisely because it doesn't react biologically. It's essentially inert to biological processes, and certainly won't do anything through skin contact. It doesn't relieve pain, it doesn't attract oxygen, it's not magnetic... claims that it's any of these are just untrue.
 
I was wondering about that ~ it doesn't seem as though there is much in the way of empirical data to support those claims (if anything).

It's supposed to have something to do with magnetic fields or whatnot, although it's not magnetic like you said.

vnYTX
 
Rilner said:
I was wondering about that ~ it doesn't seem as though there is much in the way of empirical data to support those claims (if anything).

It's supposed to have something to do with magnetic fields or whatnot, although it's not magnetic like you said.

vnYTX
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Anodizing shouldn't change the biocompatibility of titanium. It's still titanium.
Plating of course would depend on what you are plating it with. Gold is great. Lead not so much ;-) Teflon is questionable.

Titanium alloys could have different properties, again depending on the other elements. What elements are they, how easy are the released etc.
Even if the element might be bad it might make the alloy more abrasion resistant so that actually less of it might be coming off than in an alloy which contains less of it.

Also at what point in life do we get titanium implants? Even something which might cause cancer in 50 years probably wouldn't do much since we'd die before that.

I'd be more worried about carbon steel knifes and their easily visible and tastable corosion products entering food. It's not just iron oxide in there :-o and on top of that it's reacting with many different acids and other chemicals into hundreds of different compounds.
I'm not aware of any study, just saying it's a potential issue. Given that only a few of us use carbon steel on food I doubt there'll ever be a study though it wouldn't be very hard to do.
 
Rilner said:
Looking to know which grade of Titanium is:

A) Strongest in terms of impact resistance

B) Most corrosion resistant

C) Highest corrosion resistance to impact strength ratio


I'm given to understand that beta phase alloys are both the smallest group of Ti alloys and also the "strongest", although that could mean different things. I've read mention of Grades 19 (Beta C) and 20 being exceptionally strong, but I'm just not sure.
Click to expand...


I want to answer this question in detail, but can't bring myself to type out so much information at the moment, so here is a document that will show you how unanswerable it is:

http://www.asminternational.org/documents/10192/1849770/ACFA9E7.pdf

Super short answer, as best as I know:

Corrosion is a non-issue in titanium alloys, so that part is moot.

The strongest, most impact-resistant titanium alloy that has a grade number assigned by a materials testing society, is probably beta ti alloy(s) 15-3-3-3, or 10-2-3, heat-treated for strength against impact. There are a few dozen ti alloys that have a grade number.

Most individual ti alloys do not have a grade number, and are made by order for specific projects requiring a metal that holds up to various ultra extremes. Some of these could be, or are, even more strong and crazy than any ti alloy with a grade number. I believe that one of these exotics that does not have several various alloying elements but only 1 or 2 beta stabilizers, hot-forged, and heat-treated for resistance to impact damage, is the one.

Mega short answer: Grade 23 alpha-beta alloy 6al4v ELI
 
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Hi Mete and Lycosa! :D

Jens: ti alloys for implants recently phased out a lot of the vanadium (6al4v ELI) and replaced it with niobium as a beta stabilizer, as it is biologically neutral like the ti when it's alloyed, and increases the material properties desired for a fake joint, such as wear resistance.
 
Holy Mecha-Fire-Breathing-Dragon-But-Who-Cares-Because-Titanium-Shield Batman!

Alright, so then I have no way of knowing exactly what the top would be, because it's not even graded. Probably it would be something classified anyway. And here I thought Grade 4 was so amazing. WOMP-WOMP!

I'm gradually becoming obsessed with Ti. I want everything in it ~ a knife, a hatchet, my buttons, buckles and so on. ALL MUST BE TI O_o (Can you catch the COD: Black Ops reference there? >_<)

I'm guessing though if I asked *insert vendor's name here* who works with Ti for that kind of stuff (minus the bladed instruments) for that grade it would be a fortune. Ehhhh, what to do, what to do?
 
*Awwww YEEEAAAHHHH* that reads SO WELL - exotic titanium... for exotic buckles for EXOTIC BELTS! The thought alone ~ ahhh, sweet, sweet release.

Well, I'm ready for work now. You?
 
Rilner said:
Holy Mecha-Fire-Breathing-Dragon-But-Who-Cares-Because-Titanium-Shield Batman!

Alright, so then I have no way of knowing exactly what the top would be, because it's not even graded. Probably it would be something classified anyway. And here I thought Grade 4 was so amazing. WOMP-WOMP!

I'm gradually becoming obsessed with Ti. I want everything in it ~ a knife, a hatchet, my buttons, buckles and so on. ALL MUST BE TI O_o (Can you catch the COD: Black Ops reference there? >_<)

I'm guessing though if I asked *insert vendor's name here* who works with Ti for that kind of stuff (minus the bladed instruments) for that grade it would be a fortune. Ehhhh, what to do, what to do?
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Wait....grade 4?

SA3UA83.jpg






Actually Grade 4 would make a very VERY nice belt buckle. :)
 
s03Cr
Yeah, I know, I know, but it's just that it has a title. "STRONGEST OF THE PURE GRADES"
 
Rilner said:
nqbdR
Yeah, I know, I know, but it's just that it has a title. "STRONGEST OF THE PURE GRADES"
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There IS something to the pure(ish) elemental metals that is wonderous. I love pure copper, even more than bronze.
 
And I can't post pics from imgur. Why are my memes being blocked!?!?!?!?

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I could shoot for Grade 23 or whatever for a buckle as well couldnt I? I know it's a little much, but I mean... mmeehhh.
 
Well what in tarnation do you need this belt buckle to withstand? A hornet-mad kickin' kangaroo? :D
 
You can replace almost every bone in your body with one of Titanium !! I,ve started with a pacemaker ,electronics covered with Ti !
 
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