Mechanical, Corrosion Resistance Properties and Various Applications of Titanium and Its Alloys: A Review

Titanium (Ti) alloys have been employed for several structural purposes due to high strength, lightweight, temperature toughness, outstanding corrosion resistance and extreme temperature tolerance ability. However, their application for aircraft, military equipment and spacecraft etc. is limited by the exorbitant cost of raw materials and processing. Although, commercially unadulterated titanium exhibits satisfactory mechanical characteristics and has been used for some engineering applications. For many applications, titanium is combined or alloyed with little percentages of alloying elements such as vanadium and aluminium by weight. The combination possesses solid solubility which differs with temperature, enabling it to experience precipitation strengthening. This strengthening effect and effect of heat treatment does not only affect the mechanical and structural properties but alters the tribological and corrosion resistance (CR) properties of the alloys. The CR property of alloys is vital in any structural application and this affects other properties directly or indirectly. Therefore, this review paper examines the properties, classification and applications of Ti and its alloys.