Development Of Titanium Alloys

Titanium alloy has high specific strength, high specific mode, corrosion resistance, non-magnetic and other characteristics, more and more by the world's defence industry attention, decades of basic and applied development of a large number of titanium alloys and low-cost technology research, so that titanium alloys in the weapons and equipment, such as tanks and armored vehicles, artillery and other equipment to obtain applications. The application of high-performance titanium alloys has improved the protective performance of weapons and equipment, reduced the weight of equipment, and met the requirements of weapons and equipment for rapid deployment, high survivability and special environmental transport. Through the analysis of foreign titanium alloy research and development, low-cost technology and application in weaponry equipment and standards, it puts forward China's low-cost titanium alloy in weaponry equipment application research and standardisation work recommendations.
With the current weapon and equipment rapid all-area mobile deployment combat requirements, the lightweight of weapon materials put forward a high demand. The weight of main battle tanks has reached as much as 70 tonnes, and the weight of infantry fighting vehicles and artillery cannot adapt to the requirements of the new situation. Therefore, lightweight alloys such as titanium alloys, aluminium alloys and magnesium alloys and their composites by the world's materials industry and the military's attention, has formulated the development of lightweight materials for weapons and equipment planning and planning. The U.S. Department of Defense in 2004 developed a low-cost titanium materials and their related manufacturing process integration plan.
Titanium alloys are particularly suitable for weaponry lightweighting and performance enhancement as the material of choice due to their excellent properties such as high specific strength, high specific modulus, corrosion resistance and non-magnetic properties. Through the development of low-cost titanium alloys and their advanced low-cost manufacturing technologies, the cost of titanium alloy materials, components, subsystems, and their entire weaponry systems has been greatly reduced, and the full-life effectiveness of weaponry has been significantly increased compared to the past. In weapons and equipment such as tanks, artillery and other aspects of access to applications. Some countries in the world have formulated titanium alloy standards and military standards to regulate the preparation of low-cost titanium alloys, the production of parts and components and their application in ground-based weaponry.
The rapid deployment and rapid response of military land-based weaponry and the rapid transport in special areas have put forward higher requirements for the lightweighting of equipment, and weaponry must reduce weight while maintaining and improving survivability. Titanium alloys will therefore become the material of choice to meet these requirements and will be increasingly used in land-based weaponry. Some of the most successful applications include the M1A2 main battle tank, the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the lightweight 155 mm gun M777.
ATI is a leader in the development and manufacture of titanium alloys. Titanium alloys produced include: ATI 425®-MIL Armor-grade Titanium, ATI 6-4-MILTM Armor-grade Titanium, ATI Grade 7, ATI 3-2.5TM (Grade 9), ATI Grade 11, ATI Grade 12, ATI Grade 16, ATI Grade 17, ATI Grade 18, ATI 6- 4 ELITM (Grade 23). These titanium alloys are widely used in defence weaponry including land, sea, air and space.
ATI 64-MIL titanium alloy is a two-phase α+β titanium alloy with aluminium (Al) as the α stabiliser and vanadium (V) as the β stabiliser. This high-strength alloy can be used in deep cryogenic environments down to 800°F (427°C). ATI 64-MIL alloys are supplied in annealed, solution-treated, and aged condition. Applications include: armour, compressor blades, discs and jet engine rings; fuselage and capsule components; pressure vessels; rocket motor housings; helicopter rotor hubs, fasteners; critical forgings requiring high strength-to-weight ratios; and medical and surgical equipment.
ATI 425 alloy is a high-strength, highly ductile titanium alloy that is available in a variety of product forms, including cold-rolled coils or sheets. Originally developed by ATI for ballistic armour, it has recently been used in aerospace and industrial applications.ATI 425 alloy is an alpha-beta titanium alloy using aluminium as the alpha stabiliser and iron and vanadium as the beta stabilisers. The lower aluminium and vanadium content and relaxed oxygen and iron content give ATI 425 alloy a unique combination of ductility and tensile strength.ATI 425 has a reduced aluminium and vanadium content as well as a reduced oxygen content compared to ATI 64-MIL, resulting in improved material properties at reduced material cost.