Titanium &

Titanium Alloys

Commercially pure Grade 2 titanium is the most widely used and most liquid of all titanium grades in the secondary market. With 99%+ titanium content, excellent corrosion resistance in seawater and a broad range of acids, and outstanding weldability, Grade 2 is the workhouse of chemical processing, desalination, marine, and architectural titanium applications. It is not heat-treatable for strength enhancement, but its combination of moderate strength (50 ksi UTS minimum) and superior formability makes it the default specification for plate, sheet, pipe, tube, and heat exchanger tubing in corrosive service. Surplus Grade 2 in plate and pipe form from chemical plant upgrades, desalination projects, and marine construction is among the most consistently traded titanium on the secondary market.

Grade 7 is commercially pure titanium with a small palladium addition (0.12–0.25% Pd) added to the same base chemistry as Grade 2. The Pd addition dramatically improves resistance to crevice corrosion and attack from reducing acids — hydrochloric, sulfuric, and formic acid environments that standard Grade 2 cannot reliably handle — without the cost of a higher-alloy system. Mechanical properties match Grade 2 exactly, so Grade 7 is frequently specified as a drop-in upgrade wherever Grade 2 equipment is exposed to more aggressive process chemistry than originally designed for. It is one of the most commonly misclassified titanium grades in the surplus market: without a chemistry check against the mill cert, Grade 7 plate or tube is easily mistaken for standard Grade 2 and sold well under its real value.

Grade 11 carries the same palladium addition as Grade 7 (0.12–0.25% Pd) but on a Grade 1 base chemistry rather than Grade 2 — pairing the highest ductility and cold formability of any titanium grade with strong crevice corrosion and reducing-acid resistance. That combination makes it the preferred choice for complex formed or welded components in aggressive chemical service, where Grade 7's slightly higher strength would make tight forming radii or deep draws more difficult. It is less commonly produced than Grade 7 and correspondingly less common in the surplus market, but holds strong value with buyers fabricating corrosion-resistant process equipment.

Grade 17 is the economical end of the palladium-bearing CP family: a Grade 1 base chemistry with a lower palladium addition (0.04–0.08% Pd, roughly a third of the Pd content in Grade 7 or Grade 11). The reduced Pd loading still delivers a meaningful improvement in corrosion resistance over standard Grade 1, just short of full Grade 7/11-level performance — making it the right specification when moderate corrosion enhancement is needed at a lower material cost. Note that "Grade 17" should not be confused with the beta alloy commonly nicknamed "Ti-17" (Ti-5Al-2Sn-4Mo-4Cr-2Zr) referenced elsewhere on this page — the two share no chemistry or classification in common beyond an unfortunate naming overlap.

Ti-6Al-4V is the single most important titanium alloy in the world — accounting for approximately 50% of all titanium consumed globally and more than any other alloy by weight in commercial and military aerospace programs. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is 15% titanium by weight; the Airbus A350 is 14%. With a tensile strength of 130 ksi (895 MPa) minimum, a density of just 4.43 g/cm³ (approximately 40% lighter than steel), and excellent fatigue resistance up to 350°C, Grade 5 titanium is found in jet engine fan blades, compressor discs, airframe structures, landing gear components, medical implants, and high-performance automotive parts. Its surplus is the single most actively traded titanium product on the secondary market by both volume and value.

Ti-3Al-2.5V, designated ASTM Grade 9, is often called the "half-6-4" because it sits between commercially pure titanium and Ti-6Al-4V in both strength and alloying content. With 3% aluminum and 2.5% vanadium, it delivers approximately 90 ksi tensile strength while retaining excellent cold formability and weldability — properties that Grade 5 cannot match. It is the standard material for aircraft hydraulic tubing (specified by Boeing, Airbus, and their suppliers), high-performance bicycle frames, sporting equipment, and architectural tube. Surplus Grade 9 tubing from aerospace MRO operations and sporting goods manufacturers is a consistent secondary market product.

Grade 23 — Ti-6Al-4V Extra Low Interstitial — differs from standard Grade 5 by its tightly controlled oxygen (0.13% max vs 0.20% max) and iron (0.25% max vs 0.30% max) content. These reductions improve fracture toughness and fatigue crack propagation resistance, making Grade 23 the preferred titanium alloy for fracture-critical aerospace structures and medical implants where failure is not an option. It is specified under ASTM F136 for orthopedic implants including hip and knee replacements, spinal fusion devices, and bone plates. Surplus ELI grade material from medical device programs, canceled orthopedic contracts, or aerospace structural overruns commands a premium over standard Grade 5 due to its tighter specification and limited producer base.

Beta titanium alloys — including Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al (Ti-10-2-3), Ti-3Al-8V-6Cr-4Mo-4Zr (Beta-C), Ti-15V-3Cr-3Sn-3Al (Ti-15-3), and Ti-5Al-2Sn-4Mo-2Zr-4Cr (Ti-17) — are heat-treatable to the highest strength levels achievable in any titanium system, with tensile strengths reaching 180–200+ ksi. They are the material of choice for aerospace landing gear forgings, large structural airframe components, high-strength fasteners, and aerospace spring stock where extreme strength-to-weight ratio is the primary design driver. Ti-10-2-3 is the dominant beta alloy and is used extensively in Boeing 777 and 787 landing gear systems. Surplus beta alloy billet, bar, and forgings from major aerospace programs are less common than Grade 5 but command exceptional per-pound pricing.

Titanium sponge — produced by the Kroll process through reduction of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄) with magnesium — is the primary raw material from which all titanium alloy ingot and powder is made. Produced in grades ranging from standard commercial sponge (99%+ Ti) to high-purity aerospace sponge with tightly controlled impurity limits, it is the feedstock for vacuum arc remelting (VAR) furnaces at titanium melt shops. Surplus titanium sponge from closed processing operations, government stockpile releases, or material substitution decisions is of immediate interest to titanium ingot producers, master alloy manufacturers, and powder atomizers. The U.S. has only a handful of primary titanium sponge producers, making domestic surplus particularly valuable.

Ti-6Al-4V powder for additive manufacturing is one of the fastest-growing segments of the titanium market, driven by the adoption of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and electron beam melting (EBM) in aerospace, medical device, and defense production. Produced by plasma atomization or gas atomization to achieve the spherical morphology, controlled particle size distribution (typically 15–45 µm for LPBF or 45–106 µm for EBM), and low oxygen pickup required for structural part production, aerospace-grade Ti-6Al-4V powder commands a significant premium over wrought bar. Surplus AM powder from closed additive manufacturing programs, unused canisters from equipment changes, and recycled powder exceeding reuse cycle limits are the most common surplus scenarios.