Metal
Titanium Grade 5
Steel strength at half the weight, fully biocompatible, hard to cut.
Published values for unfilled grades at 23 °C unless stated. Confirm against the supplier datasheet for the grade you specify.
What it is
Ti-6Al-4V accounts for the majority of titanium used worldwide. It has the tensile strength of a heat-treated alloy steel at 56 % of the density, is essentially immune to seawater and body-fluid corrosion, and is fully biocompatible.
It is difficult and expensive to machine. Low thermal conductivity concentrates heat at the cutting edge, and the material is chemically reactive with most tool coatings at temperature.
Where it is used
- Orthopaedic implants and surgical instruments
- Aerospace structural and engine components
- Marine and offshore hardware
- Motorsport and high-performance components
- Printed lattice structures where geometry justifies the cost
Processing notes
Machine at low surface speed with high feed, flood coolant, and rigid workholding. Sharp tools and constant engagement.
Never let the tool rub. A dwell burnishes the surface and work hardens it.
Laser powder bed fusion is often cheaper than machining for complex geometry, and it is the standard route for patient-specific implants.
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Design notes
Design for the process. If the part can be a printed lattice rather than a machined solid, the cost case changes completely.
Titanium galls against itself and against stainless. Specify a coating or a dissimilar mating material on any threaded or sliding interface.
Only specify titanium where weight, corrosion, or biocompatibility genuinely require it; on most parts it is an expensive way to buy strength.
Grades and variants
- Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V), the general purpose alloy
- Grade 23 (Ti-6Al-4V ELI), extra low interstitial, the implant grade
- Grade 2, commercially pure, formable, corrosion service
- Grade 9 (Ti-3Al-2.5V), tubing and moderate strength
- ASTM F136, implant quality specification
Alternatives
If Titanium Grade 5 is not the right answer
Specifying this material?
Send your CAD and target volumes. We come back with a price, a lead time, and any material or design notes that would reduce either.