Which is better, titanium alloy or stainless steel?
Compared with titanium and stainless steel, they actually have their own advantages, depending on the specific application. Generally speaking, titanium alloy metal is better.
The density of titanium and titanium alloys is only 4.51, which is smaller than steel, and its weight is only half of steel, but its strength is similar to ordinary carbon steel. Titanium is a thermodynamically unstable metal and is very reactive. Metal titanium can form a natural oxide film (titanium dioxide) with air. This stable, strong adhesion and strong protective oxide film determines the corrosion resistance of titanium. , so titanium has excellent corrosion resistance. Secondly, light texture, high tensile strength and good mechanical properties are another excellent characteristics of titanium alloys.
Titanium has good corrosion resistance: below 550 ℃, a dense oxide film is easy to form on the surface of titanium alloy, which is not easy to be further oxidized. It has high corrosion resistance to atmosphere, sea water, steam and some acids, alkalis and soft media.
Titanium has good thermal strength: the melting point of titanium alloy is 1660°C, which is higher than iron. It has high thermal strength, can work below 550℃, and shows good toughness at low temperatures.
Titanium processing is difficult: welding, electroplating, cold drawing, etc. are all very difficult. Welding and electroplating must be performed under vacuum or filled with inert gas (vacuum ion plating).
The density of titanium alloys is generally around 4.51 grams/cubic centimeter, which is only 60% of steel. The density of pure titanium is close to that of ordinary steel. Some high-strength titanium alloys exceed the strength of many structural steel alloys. Therefore, the specific strength/density of titanium alloy is much greater than that of other metal structural materials, and parts with high unit strength, good rigidity and light weight can be produced. Titanium alloys are used in sporting goods such as golf balls and bicycles, as well as aircraft engine components, frames, skins, fasteners and landing gear.
304 is a multifunctional stainless steel widely used in the production of equipment and parts that require good comprehensive properties (corrosion resistance and formability). In order to maintain the inherent corrosion resistance of stainless steel, the steel must contain more than 18% of chromium and more than 8% of nickel.
The density is 7.93g/cm3, also known as 18/8 stainless steel in the industry. It is resistant to high temperature of 800 degrees, has the characteristics of good processing performance and high toughness. Widely used in industry, furniture decoration industry, food and medical industry. In terms of strength, low density and corrosion resistance, titanium alloys are better.
