Ever since titanium was discovered in 1791, it has been highly popular in manufacturing. However, it wasn’t until the start of the Cold War that it began to be adopted in both military and commercial aerospace industries. Today, the biggest purchaser of titanium alloys is the aerospace industry. Titanium alloys like Titanium 6242 and AMS 4919 possess properties that are favorable for aerospace applications. Common features that make it perfect for use in aircraft are better strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and high-temperature performance.
Being the top purchaser of titanium, the aerospace industry is closely connected to the titanium industry. With the increasing demand for advanced aircraft, the demand for titanium alloys like Titanium 6242 is growing as well. Countries with significant military budgets, such as the United States, have a high demand for titanium alloys due to their suitability for aerospace and military applications.
Modern commercial airplanes like BoeingB787 and AirBusA380 use more titanium compared to older aircraft designs. The military aerospace industry utilizes the largest amount of titanium. Military aircraft like the F/A-18, C-17, F-22, F-35, and the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, extensively use titanium in their manufacturing.
As fuel costs are rising, the demand for fuel-efficient aircraft is increasing. Titanium’s excellent weight-to-strength ratio is a great feature in this regard. Airplanes made with titanium alloys, such as AMS 4919, are significantly lighter than others, resulting in reduced fuel consumption. Titanium is increasingly replacing aluminum parts in aircraft manufacturing as it can withstand heat and resist corrosion when it comes in contact with CFRPs (carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers). Aircraft fasteners, airframes, and landing gear are some of the applications of titanium in aircraft.
Besides aircraft parts and frames, titanium alloys like Titanium 6242 are also used in aircraft engines due to their high strength and lightweight. As jet engines and airframe components need to withstand temperatures ranging from subzero to 600°C, titanium’s high-temperature performance is very helpful for these applications. Engine components like discs, blades, shafts, and casings from the front fan to the rear end of the engine, are the titanium popular application in aircraft engines.
One military application of titanium is powder metallurgy, which is limited to space and missile applications. The coating of powder metallurgy offers outstanding corrosion resistance as well as low density and high strength. Titanium has been used in many of NASA’s vehicles designed for outer space travel.
There is no doubt that titanium is an invaluable material for various industries, especially the aerospace industry. The aerospace and titanium industries are connected and reliant on each other. As the demand for fuel-efficient aircraft is growing continuously, the titanium market appears set to grow in the future. If you want to purchase stock of titanium products like AMS 4904, AMS 4965, AMS 4919, AMS 6930, AMS 4911, Titanium 6242, and AMS 6931, you can choose FlightMetals to be sure that you receive only the best quality products and pricing will always be competitive.