Analysis of the development trend of titanium
The development trend of titanium
1. In the aircraft manufacturing industry, materials used in manufacturing are required to be light in weight and strong in strength. Generally, it is expressed by specific strength (the ratio of the strength of the material to the density). The larger the ratio, the better, and titanium meets this requirement. The specific strength of titanium is the largest among currently used materials, 3 times that of stainless steel and 1.3 times that of aluminum alloy. Therefore, in the aircraft manufacturing industry, titanium is a material that is very important. With the development of the aviation industry, the speed of airplanes is getting faster and faster. The faster the speed, the higher the surface temperature of the aircraft caused by the friction between the aircraft and the air. When the speed reaches 2.2 times the speed of sound, aluminum alloy is no longer competent, and steel is too heavy, so it is only made of titanium alloy. So some people say, If there is no titanium alloy as a manufacturing material, it is impossible to develop a supersonic aircraft with a speed of more than 2.5 times the speed of sound.
2. In space voyages, the flying speed of spacecraft is much faster than that of airplanes, and the working environment changes more, so the requirements for materials are also higher and stricter. For example, using a rocket to transport a manned spacecraft to the moon requires a process from high temperature to ultra-low temperature. When returning to the ground, it goes from ultra-low temperature to high temperature. When the spacecraft enters the atmosphere, the surface temperature of the spacecraft rises to 540℃～650℃. The materials used to make spacecraft must adapt to such drastic temperature changes, and titanium alloys can meet these requirements. In space navigation, the use of titanium can greatly reduce the weight of the aircraft. From the economic point of view, due to the reduction in structural weight, it can save a lot of fuel, and at the same time can greatly reduce the construction and launch costs of rockets and missiles.
3. Titanium's corrosion resistance is very strong, especially its corrosion resistance to seawater, which can be comparable to platinum. Someone once immersed titanium metal in seawater for four and a half years. After taking it out, it was observed that it was almost not corroded and still maintained its original metallic luster. Therefore, titanium is a good material for making ships. As a corrosion-resistant material, titanium has been highly valued by all countries since its birth. For example, from 1963 to 1975 in the United States, the amount of titanium used in corrosion-resistant materials increased 10 times. Among the titanium used in Japan, 90% is used for corrosion resistance. The corrosion resistance of titanium is 150 times higher than that of stainless steel. Titanium and oxygen have a strong bonding ability. When titanium is exposed to the air, a thin and stable oxide film is immediately formed on the surface, and it has special corrosion resistance. (If this layer of film is mechanically damaged, it will re-form a thin film.) Nowadays, titanium is used instead of graphite at home and abroad in electrolyzers. At present, some countries abroad have stipulated that in nuclear power plants, all titanium condensers must be used for safety. In this respect, the amount of titanium used is considerable. For example, a thermal power station with a generating capacity of 600,000 KW requires 60 tons of titanium, while a nuclear power station with a generating capacity of 110 KW requires as much as 150 tons of titanium.
4. Adding a small amount of titanium to alloy steel can greatly improve the performance of the steel, and increase the strength, toughness and corrosion resistance of the steel. For example, our most common 18-8 stainless steel contains about 1% titanium. In non-ferrous metal hydrometallurgy, after using titanium, good results have also been received. For example, in the electrolytic production of metal nickel, titanium plates have been used instead of stainless steel plates as the mother plate. Stainless steel plates can only be used for about one year, while titanium plates can be used for more than 10 years, and the service life is extended by 10 times. Long-term experiments have proved that titanium is not toxic in the human body, does not work with human body secretions, is suitable for any sterilization method, and has no magnetism. Therefore, titanium has been used as orthopedic materials and medical devices at home and abroad.
5. Superconducting material is a kind of material with great development prospects in the future. The alloy made of about 50% titanium and 50% niobium is currently the most researched and used superconducting material. Niobium-titanium alloy accounts for 90% of the more than 100 tons of superconducting materials produced annually in the United States. The artificially prepared barium titanate (BaTiO3) has special properties, it has a high dielectric constant, and the capacitor made from it has a larger capacity. At present, although titanium is 2 to 3 times more expensive than stainless steel, its life span is generally more than 10 times higher than that of stainless steel. That is to say, the use of titanium is more expensive for one investment, but due to the long use time, it is still economical after all. It is expected that in the near future, titanium will become an indispensable metal in our daily lives just like steel, copper, and aluminum.
Our country's abundant titanium resources provide superior conditions for the development of the titanium industry, and will also open up bright prospects for the wide application of titanium in various fields.
