Titanium Metal Powder

Overview

Titanium metal powder is a fine granular form of titanium metal used in various manufacturing applications. It offers excellent strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility making it suitable for use in aerospace components, medical implants, sports equipment, automotive parts, and more.

Titanium powder can be produced through different methods including atomization of molten titanium, electrolysis of titanium compounds, and direct reduction of titanium ores. The properties and performance of the powder depends on the production technique as well as post-processing treatments. Critical characteristics that define the quality and usability of titanium powder include particle size distribution, morphology, powder flowability, apparent density, and impurity levels.

Types of Titanium Metal Powder

Atomized titanium powder is spherical in morphology with good flow and packing characteristics. It is suitable for demanding additive manufacturing and metal injection molding applications.

Hydride-dehydride powder has lower density and poor flow compared to atomized powder. It is used predominantly for metal injection molding due to its lower cost.

Rotating electrode process powder has unique dendritic particles providing high sintered density. It is used in additive manufacturing methods like electron beam melting.

Composition of Titanium Metal Powder

Titanium metal powders are broadly categorized into four grades based on oxygen and iron content as per ASTM standards:

The main alloying elements in titanium powder include:

• Aluminum (Al) – Improves strength and heat treatability
• Vanadium (V) – Increases strength and ductility
• Tin (Sn) – Improves creep resistance
• Zirconium (Zr) – Refines grains

Trace elements like nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen and iron also have significant effects on mechanical properties. Strict control over chemical composition is necessary to achieve optimal performance.

Properties of Titanium Metal Powder

The properties of finished titanium components depend on the powder characteristics as well as how the parts are manufactured. Porosity, surface finish, heat treatment, etc. have a large influence.

Key advantages of titanium metal include high specific strength, corrosion resistance, fatigue life, and biocompatibility. Limitations include high reactivity at elevated temperatures requiring inert atmospheres for powder handling and processing. Titanium alloys can also be more difficult to machine compared to other metals due to low thermal conductivity causing localized heating during machining.

Applications of Titanium Metal Powder

Fine powders below 100 microns are preferred for additive manufacturing to achieve good resolution and mechanical properties. For pressed and sintered applications, spherical morphology provides optimal density whereas irregular particles are preferred for metal injection molding feedstocks.

Specifications for Titanium Metal Powder

ASTM standards for different titanium powder grades:

Other titanium powder specifications:

Suppliers of Titanium Metal Powder

Indicative pricing for titanium metal powder:

Bulk discounts may be available for large orders above 100 kg. Actual pricing varies based on quantity, quality requirements, lead time, etc.

Comparison of Titanium Powder Production Methods

No single production method offers the best balance of quality and economics. Most manufacturers specialize in one technology and offer different grades targeting various applications. Powder quality and repeatability is critical for demanding applications whereas cost is a larger driving factor for high volume products.

FAQs

Q: What is the difference between titanium grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 powder?

A: The grades differ based on the allowed oxygen and iron content. Grade 1 has the lowest oxygen levels whereas grade 4 permits higher impurity levels. Lower grades provide superior mechanical properties while higher grades reduce cost.

Q: What particle size titanium powder do I need for additive manufacturing?

A: For most AM processes, the optimal particle size range is 10 to 45 microns. Finer powders below 100Copy microns enable good resolution and mechanical properties. However, extremely fine particles below 10 μm can be challenging to spread evenly during layering. They are also more prone to agglomeration issues.

Q: Is titanium powder hazardous?

A: Titanium powder can ignite and cause explosion hazards under certain conditions. Fine titanium powders, especially hydride powders, are highly flammable. Handling titanium powder requires inert gas environments using argon or nitrogen. Storage containers should have proper grounding. Workers must take precautions against dust inhalation and skin contact when handling titanium powders.

Q: How is titanium powder produced?

A: The four main production methods are:

1. Gas atomization: Molten titanium stream is broken into droplets which solidify into powder
2. Plasma atomization: Extremely high heat from plasma rapidly melts and solidifies titanium
3. HDH process: Titanium scrap is processed using hydrogen cycles of absorption and desorption
4. Rotating electrode: Anodic dissolution of titanium rods forms powder through electrolytic reactions

Each process results in powder with different characteristics suited to various applications.

Q: What is the price of titanium powder?

A: Titanium powder can range from $40 to $500 per kg based on grade, quality, order volume, etc. Spherical grades 1 and 2 powder are moderately priced around $100/kg for small quantities. Special alloys used in aerospace can cost up to $500/kg. Hydride-dehydride and higher grade 4 powder are cheaper options closer to $50/kg for industry buyers.

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