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PRODUCT
Corrosion of Titanium Titanium
DATA
SHEET & Titanium Alloys Alloys

Introduction
Titanium and titanium alloys owe their excellent corrosion resistance to a stable, protective surface layer of titanium oxide.
Titanium metal is highly reactive with oxygen, and the surface oxide forms spontaneously and instantaneously in contact with air
and most media. Damage to the oxide film usually heals rapidly if the environment contains oxygen or moisture at the parts per
million level. Hence titanium alloys are highly resistant to corrosion, usually corrode at negligible rates and require no corrosion
allowance. However, anhydrous or highly reducing conditions may prevent the formation or healing of the oxide film, and corrosion
may then become rapid.
This form of corrosion resistance is similar to that of aluminium and magnesium alloys, and of stainless steels, which also rely on a
protective oxide film on the surface of a reactive metal.
Alloy Composition Effects
All the commercial purity grades corrode at very low rates while the metal remains in the passive condition. Small contents (< 2 – 3%)
of the elements normally present have little effect on the oxide film, and hence on corrosion resistance. However, where the
corrosion resistance is marginal (i.e. corrosion rates above about 0.13 mm/year), small amounts of elements such as sulphur and
iron accelerate the corrosion rate of the alloy. Minor additions of other elements, such as palladium and nickel, can greatly reduce
corrosion under these conditions, and made to highly corrosion resistant alloys such as grade 7.
Weldments of the lean alloys generally show the same corrosion resistance as the unwelded parent metal, without surface
treatment. In marginal or active conditions attack may be accelerated at the weld, due to a higher content of impurity elements
such as sulphur, iron, oxygen and nitrogen.

Corrosion
When titanium is fully passive, corrosion rates are typically lower than 0.04 mm/year, due to the highly stable surface protective
film. In many environments the film may thicken, which gives interference colours and a slight weight gain. General corrosion may
be encountered in reducing acid conditions, particularly at elevated temperatures. In strong and hot reducing acids the titanium
oxide film can dissolve, and the unprotected titanium metal be taken rapidly into solution.
Crevice Corrosion
Titanium alloys may suffer crevice corrosion attack by a similar mechanism to that encountered in stainless steels: oxygen depleted
reducing acid conditions develop within tight crevices isolated from the bulk corrosion media. Crevice corrosion may be
o
encountered in hot (>70 C) solutions containing chlorides, bromides, fluorides, iodides or sulphates. It can stem from metal to metal
joints such as tube to tubesheet joints or badly designed welds, at gaskets, or at surface deposits.
Pitting Corrosion
Titanium alloys are highly resistant to pitting corrosion, and it is rarely encountered.
Hydrogen Damage
Titanium alloys are widely used in environments containing hydrogen, and where impressed currents or galvanic couples generate
hydrogen. Hydrogen embrittlement of the titanium may result due to the formation of titanium hydride precipitates, usually
without significant reduction of the performance of the alloy. Embrittlement is loss of ductility and toughness of the alloy.

The technical advice and recommendations made in this Product Data Sheet should not be relied or acted upon without conducting your own further investigations, including corrosion
exposure tests where needed. Please consult current editions of standards for design properties.
Austral Wright Metals assumes no liability in connection with the information in this Product Data Sheet
 Corrosion of Titanium
& Titanium Alloys
The surface oxide film is a highly effective barrier to the passage of hydrogen, and only traces of moisture or oxygen are effective in
maintaining the oxide film. Hence hydrogen embrittlement can usually be avoided. It is unlikely to be encountered at temperatures
o
below about 80 C, or at solution pH between 3 and 12.
The usual cause of hydrogen damage is excessive hydrogen charging from an impressed current corrosion protection system, or a
galvanic couple (see below) with a more active metal, such as aluminium, zinc or magnesium. Metals which remain passive, such as
other titanium alloys, stainless steels, copper alloys and nickel alloys, are unlikely to cause this problem.
Galvanic Couples
Titanium rarely suffers accelerated corrosion on coupling with other metals, but it may accelerate the corrosion of a more active
metal coupled to it. The rate of attack depends on many factors, including solution chemistry and temperature, and the cathode to
anode surface area ratio.

Galvanic series in flowing sea water (2.5 - 4 m/sec, 10 - 27oC)

Noble Active
Zinc
Aluminium alloys
Mild steel, cast iron
Brass
Copper
SS 410 SS 410
PbSn Solder 50/50
90Cu - 10Ni
SS 430 SS 430
70Cu - 30Ni
Inconel 600 Inconel 600
Nickel
Silver
Monel 400
(passive) (active)
SS 304 SS 304
SS 316 SS 316
TITANIUM
Hastelloy C
Inconel 825
Platinum
Graphite

Stress Corrosion Cracking

The commercially pure titanium alloys (grades 1, 2, 7, 11, 12) are immune to SCC except in a few environments, such as anhydrous
methanol solutions containing halides, nitrogen tetroxide and red fuming nitric acid. The higher strength alloys have been found
susceptible to SCC in aqueous chloride solutions at high stress levels in laboratory tests, but the problem is rarely encountered in
practice.
Erosion Corrosion
The hardness of the surface oxide film gives excellent resistance to erosion corrosion, which is outstanding compared to most other
candidates for heat exchanger service. High flow rates (30m/sec) can be used without problems due to inlet turbulence or pump
cavitation effects.
Corrosion Fatigue
The highly protective surface oxide film results in insignificant reductions in fatigue strength in water, sea water and most chloride
solutions where corrosion is not active.

Austral Wright Metals supplies a comprehensive range of stainless steels, copper, aluminium and nickel alloys and other high performance metals for challenging service conditions.
Page 2 of 3 Please contact our engineers and metallurgists for further data and applications advice. July 2014
 Corrosion of Titanium
& Titanium Alloys

Water & Sea Water

o
Titanium alloys corrode negligibly in sea water at temperatures up to 260 C. Even under biofouling and deposits, pitting and crevice
corrosion are not encountered. Marine atmospheres, splash and tidal zones, and soils also have no effect. Corrosion at tight design
o
crevices may be seen in waters with higher than about 1000 ppm of chlorides at temperatures above about 75 C.
Oxidising Media
Titanium alloys are highly resistant to oxidising acids, with corrosion rates typically less than 0.03 mm/year.
Reducing Acids
Corrosion of titanium alloys may be encountered when the temperature & concentration of reducing acid solutions exceed critical
values, which breaks down the surface oxide layer. Reducing acids include sulphuric, sulphamic, oxalic, trichloroacetic, phosphoric
and halogen acids such as hydrochloric and hydrofluoric.
Austral Wright Metals can supply detailed corrosion data for these environments.

Guidelines for avoiding localised attack in pressure-bleed tests in the absence of crevices
300

250
Temperature, C

200

150

100

2 7 12 2 7 12
Grade
50
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
92% sea salt 85% NaCl

Open circle: Not susceptible

Filled circle: Susceptible
Source: ASM Handbook, vol 13

Designations nad typical tensile properties of common titanium alloys

Alloy UNS ASTM Composition Yield Stress Tensile Strength Elongation

MPa MPa %
Grade 2 R50400 2 CP 350 485 28
Grade 7 R52400 7 Ti-0.15Pd 350 440 28
Grade 12 R53400 12 Ti-0.3Mo-0.8Ni 460 610 22
Grade 5 R56400 5 Ti-6Al-4V 910 1,000 18

Austral Wright Metals supplies a comprehensive range of stainless steels, copper, aluminium and nickel alloys and other high performance metals for challenging service conditions.
Page 3 of 3 Please contact our engineers and metallurgists for further data and applications advice. July 2014