Titanium offers an excellent combination of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. These features, coupled with availability of product forms and ease of fabrication, have led to extensive use of titanium and its alloys in chemical process equipment. Titanium is now a standard material of construction for many chemical processes, and equipment and systems are being assembled by a variety of fabricators on a routine basis for use in many other industries.
Successful utilization requires careful consideration of titanium's unique characteristics at the design stage as well as during fabrication. Factors such as titanium's high strength to weight ratio, low elastic modulus, corrosion and erosion resistance, its tendency toward galling, and its reactivity at high temperatures must be considered in order to optimize designs in titanium. It is generally best to start fresh with titanium's properties in mind instead of attempting to simply substitute titanium for other materials previously used. Fabricators who routinely work with titanium will be helpful in optimizing design of titanium equipment.
The following sections address some aspects of the design, fabrication and maintenance of titanium equipment.
Design of titanium equipment has followed traditional standards established for other materials of construction. ASTM mill product specifications, TEMA and ASME Code standards are followed in fabrication. Standard product forms are readily available.
Throughout this publication TIMET titanium alloys are identified using the TIMETAL
® format. This system identifies titanium alloys and products
which have been under TIMET control during all phases of production, from ore through mill
product; for example, Ti-50A is referred to as TIMETAL
® 50A.