spherical titanium powder with controlled particle sizes enables manufacturing of strong, lightweight titanium metal parts using additive manufacturing or powder metallurgy pressing. Its high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility make titanium an attractive engineering material across aerospace, medical, automotive and other demanding applications.

This guide covers compositions, production methods, specifications, uses, pricing and sourcing considerations for spherical titanium powder for metal AM or press-and-sinter fabrication.

Types of spherical titanium powder

Based on composition and processing, spherical titanium powders are categorized as:

Type	Description
CP (Commercially Pure) Titanium	99.5% and above pure titanium with low interstitial elemental impurities
Ti-6Al-4V	Titanium alloy with 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium additions for strength
Pre-alloyed Powder	Solid spherical particles with homogenous Ti-6-4 composition
Blended Elemental	Mixture of pure titanium, aluminum and vanadium powders

Match grade to mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and budget needs of finished titanium part applications.

Production Methods

• Plasma Atomization – High energy plasma torch melts feedstock. Powerful induction coils generate droplet spray that solidify into titanium spheroids. Narrowest particle distribution with good powder flow and packing density.
• Gas Atomization – Similar process using pressurized inert gas jets instead of plasma energy to atomize molten titanium stream into fine droplets. Lower power process but wider particle sizes.
• Rotating Electrode Process – Centrifugal forces from spinning electrodes disintegrate molten titanium into droplets. Achieves small particle sizes. High rate production with narrow distributions.

Controlling process parameters like temperature, pressure and gas flow results in spherical non-porous powders preferred for titanium metal fabrication.

Composition of spherical titanium powder

Grade	Titanium (Ti)	Aluminum (Al)	Vanadium (V)	Iron (Fe)	Oxygen (O)
CP Grade 1	98.9% min	0.3% max	0.2% max	0.3% max	0.18% max
CP Grade 2	98.6% min	0.3% max	0.1% max	0.3% max	0.25% max
CP Grade 4	97.5% min	0.3% max	0.1% max	0.5% max	0.40% max
Ti-6Al-4V	Base	5.5-6.75%	3.5-4.5%	0.3% max	0.13% max

Tight controls on low oxygen and nitrogen with carbon, iron and chromium limits preserves corrosion resistance and ductility. Grade selection balances required properties with alloy costs for different applications.

Typical Specifications

Parameter	Value	Test Method
Purity	>99% titanium	ASTM E2371, ICP analysis
Particle shape	Spherical >92%	Microscopy
Tap density	2.7-3.7 g/cc	Hall flowmeter
Particle size	15-45 μm	Laser diffraction
Oxygen(O)	<2000 ppm	Inert gas fusion
Nitrogen(N)	<400 ppm	Inert gas fusion
Hydrogen(H)	<150 ppm	Inert gas fusion
Flow rates	>95% for 50 μm	Hall flowmeter

Review statistical batch certification from suppliers confirming standard grade requirements and consistency performance across these metrics before purchase.

Mechanical Properties

Alloy	Ultimate Tensile Strength (ksi)	Yield Strength (ksi)	Elongation (%)
CP Grade 1	130	120	20%
CP Grade 2	150	140	18%
Ti-6Al-4V	160	150	10%

Achieving target material strengths requires optimized thermal post-processing like hot isostatic pressing and heat treatment. Match grade to needed properties.

Metal AM Applications

Key metal additive parts using spherical titanium powders:

• Aerospace: Airframe brackets, wing ribs, engine mounts – high strength, low weight
• Medical & Dental: Hip, knee & spine implants; surgical tools – bio-compatible
• Automotive: Connecting rods, turbocharger components- heat and corrosion resistance
• Consumer: Eyeglass frames, sports gear, watch bodies – aesthetic qualities
• Industrial: Fluid handling parts like valves, pumps; marine hardware; heat exchangers

Leverage high specific strength and tailor alloys like Ti6-4 for demanding production environments across industries.

Industry Specifications

• ASTM F1580 – Wrought titanium 6-aluminum 4-vanadium alloy for surgical implants
• ASTM B348 – Titanium and titanium alloy bars, wire, powder and forging stock specifications
• AMS 4999 – Composition limits for titanium alloy powder production
• ISO 23304 – Metal powders used for additive manufacturing processes

Review statistically validated batch certificates ensuring powder lot quality meets certifications.

Quality Considerations

Metric	Acceptable	Test Method
Tap Density	≥2.7 g/cc	Hall Flowmeter
Flow Rates	≥95% for 45 μm sieve	Hall Flowmeter
Particle Shape	≥92% spherical	Microscopy
Particle Size Distribution	Per ASTM B348	Laser Diffraction
Major Interstitials (O, H, N)	<2000; <150; <400 ppm resp.	Inert Gas Fusion

Powder quality attributes directly correlate to final sintered part material strengths, surface finish and defect rates.

Price Range

Grade	Particle Size	Price per kg
CP Grade 1	15-45 microns	$50-$150
Ti-6Al-4V	15-45 microns	$55-$200
Ti-6Al-4V ELI	10-75 microns	$250-$750

Pricing depends on purity, powder sizes, production volumes and regional factors. Get firm budgetary quotes from shortlisted vendors specific to your application.

Buying Considerations

Parameter	Importance
Quality Certifications	High
Consistency	High
Part Qualification Data	Medium
Technical Support	Medium
Sampling Availability	Low
Price Factors	Low

FAQs

Q: What is caking in titanium powder and how to prevent it?

A: Powder particle clustering together into partially sintered agglomerates is called caking. It disrupts flow and packing density. Store in air-tight containers with dessicants to prevent moisture and oxygen absorption side reactions that enable caking between titanium particles over time.

Q: Are there health hazards associated with titanium powders?

A: Like most fine metallic powders, avoid inhalation during handling. Other than sensitivity issues, titanium powder is relatively inert and considered non-toxic with low risk for external contact or ingestion incidents. Use adequate protective equipment and procedures during storage, transport or processing.

Q: How to store titanium powder properly?

A: Seal containers air-tight with dessicant bags to prevent oxidation. Limit temperature variation between 10-30°C. Discard if color changes from shiny gray indicating deterioration like hydrogen embrittlement. Shelf life over 5 years if properly stored.

Q: Does titanium powder require special shipping and handling?

A: Classified as non-hazardous, non-flammable. Avoid transport during extreme heat or cold. Secure packages firmly to prevent leakage or contamination. Special cold shippers with gel packs available for high purity research grades.

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Additional FAQs about spherical titanium powder (5)

1) What PSD and morphology are optimal for LPBF vs. binder jetting?

• LPBF typically uses 15–45 μm or 20–63 μm, highly spherical (>90% roundness), low satellites, O2 ≤ 1500 ppm. Binder jetting favors finer medians (Dv50 ≈ 15–25 μm) with controlled fines (<10% <10 μm) to maximize green density.

2) How do oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen impact mechanical properties?

• Interstitials embrittle titanium. Keep O ≤ 0.13–0.20 wt% (grade‑dependent), N ≤ 0.04 wt%, H ≤ 0.015 wt% for Ti‑6Al‑4V. Elevated H promotes delayed cracking; O increases strength but lowers elongation and fracture toughness.

3) Which atomization route yields the cleanest spherical titanium powder?

• PREP and EIGA typically deliver the lowest oxygen/contamination and highest sphericity, ideal for medical and aerospace. Plasma atomization also achieves excellent shape with competitive cleanliness. Conventional gas atomization is less common for Ti due to reactivity.

4) What storage and reuse practices maintain powder quality in AM?

• Use inert, desiccated storage (<2% RH), nitrogen/argon backfilled containers, and track reuse cycles. Sieve to spec each cycle, measure O/N/H (ASTM E1409/E1019) and flow/tap density; refresh 10–30% virgin powder when interstitials or fines rise.

5) How does Ti‑6Al‑4V ELI differ from standard Ti‑6Al‑4V powders?

• ELI (Extra Low Interstitials) has tighter O/N/H limits to improve toughness and fatigue, required for many implants (ASTM F3001). Expect higher price and stricter CoA requirements, including bioburden and cytotoxicity documentation for medical use.

2025 Industry Trends for spherical titanium powder

• Cleaner feedstocks for implants: Wider adoption of EIGA/PREP and argon recovery systems to cut O/N and CO2e per kg powder.
• Cost optimization: Regional atomization capacity increases reduce Ti‑6Al‑4V premiums; more vendors offer recycle/repowder services with analytical verification.
• Process windows narrowing: LPBF parameter sets tuned for lower porosity at 30–60 μm layer thickness using contour + core strategies; in‑situ monitoring correlates spatter/optic signals to density.
• Copper‑alloyed Ti and beta‑Ti R&D: Interest grows for antimicrobial surfaces (Ti‑Cu) and high‑toughness beta grades in lattice energy absorbers.
• Regulatory alignment: Greater use of ISO/ASTM 52907 feedstock requirements on purchase orders, and tighter traceability of powder reuse for medical/aerospace parts.

2025 snapshot: spherical titanium powder metrics

Metric	2023	2024	2025 YTD	Notes/Sources
Typical O in Ti‑6Al‑4V (wt%) AM grade	0.12–0.18	0.11–0.16	0.10–0.15	LECO trends from suppliers
LPBF relative density (Ti‑6Al‑4V, tuned)	99.5–99.8%	99.6–99.9%	99.7–99.95%	CT/metallography
As‑built Ra, vertical walls (μm)	12–18	10–16	9–14	Skin scan + powder shape
Powder price Ti‑6Al‑4V AM (USD/kg)	180–300	160–280	140–260	Regional capacity up
Sites using argon recovery (%)	25–35	35–45	45–55	ESG/EPD reports
Typical refresh rate per build (%)	15–30	12–25	10–22	Better sieving/analytics

References:

• ISO/ASTM 52907 (feedstock quality), ASTM F2924/F3001 (Ti‑6Al‑4V AM), ASTM E1409/E1019 (O/N/H), ASM Handbook; supplier technical datasheets and peer‑reviewed AM studies

Latest Research Cases

Case Study 1: PREP Ti‑6Al‑4V ELI for LPBF Spinal Cages (2025)
Background: A medical OEM needed higher fatigue life and tighter pore geometry in ELI cages.
Solution: Switched to PREP powder (O = 0.11 wt%, D10/50/90 = 18/32/46 μm), implemented contour‑skin strategy and 200–350°C build plate preheat; post‑processed with HIP + stress relief per ASTM F3001.
Results: Relative density 99.92%; HCF life +24% vs baseline; pore size CV −18%; first‑pass yield 98.4%; CoA compliance improved audit time by 30%.

Case Study 2: EIGA CP‑Ti for Binder Jetting Heat Exchanger Cores (2024)
Background: An energy startup targeted lightweight CP‑Ti BJ cores with leak‑tight channels.
Solution: Used EIGA CP‑Ti (Dv50 ≈ 22 μm), solvent‑free binder, debind under N2 and sinter in high‑purity H2 (dew point < −60°C); applied voxel shrink‑compensation map.
Results: Sintered density 98.3% without HIP; helium leak rate <1×10⁻⁹ mbar·L/s; thermal effectiveness +11% vs Al baseline at equal mass.

Expert Opinions

• Prof. Peter B. Fox, Materials Science, University of Manchester
  Key viewpoint: “Powder cleanliness and true sphericity govern LPBF stability as much as laser settings—tight O/N/H control pays back in fatigue.”
• Dr. Laura Predina, Orthopedic Surgeon and AM Advisor
  Key viewpoint: “For implants, ELI certification and validated cleaning of lattice structures are non‑negotiable. Powder reuse logs must be tied to clinical risk.”
• Daniel Günther, Head of Powder Technology, Fraunhofer IAPT
  Key viewpoint: “Real‑time analytics plus disciplined refresh rates cut porosity scatter. Many ‘parameter’ issues are actually powder issues.”

Citations: ISO/ASTM standards, ASM Handbook, supplier white papers, and peer‑reviewed AM journals: https://www.astm.org, https://www.iso.org

Practical Tools and Resources

• Standards and QA:
• ISO/ASTM 52907 (metal feedstock), ASTM F2924/F3001 (Ti‑6Al‑4V and ELI), ASTM E1409/E1019 (O/N/H), ASTM B212/B527 (apparent/tap density)
• Metrology and monitoring:
• CT per ASTM E1441, dynamic image analysis for sphericity/aspect ratio, laser diffraction (ISO 13320), surface metrology (ISO 4287)
• Process playbooks:
• LPBF parameter guides for Ti alloys, HIP cycles for Ti‑6Al‑4V, powder reuse/sieving SOPs, desiccated/inert storage checklists
• Design and simulation:
• Lattice/topology tools (nTopology, 3‑matic), LPBF build simulation for distortion and support optimization
• Sustainability:
• Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) templates; argon recovery best practices and powder reclamation guidelines

Notes on reliability and sourcing: Specify grade (CP1/2/4, Ti‑6Al‑4V vs ELI), PSD (D10/D50/D90), sphericity metrics, satellites, O/N/H limits, and flow/tap density on POs. Require CoA with lot genealogy. Validate each lot with density coupons and CT. Maintain inert, low‑humidity storage and track reuse cycles to keep interstitials and fines within control.

Last updated: 2025-10-15
Changelog: Added 5 targeted FAQs, a 2025 trend table with key metrics, two concise case studies, expert viewpoints, and practical standards/resources focused on spherical titanium powder for AM and PM
Next review date & triggers: 2026-02-15 or earlier if ISO/ASTM feedstock standards change, major suppliers release new low‑interstitial Ti powders, or studies revise LPBF/HIP property benchmarks for Ti‑6Al‑4V/ELI