Huge potential! A brief analysis of the development trends of titanium alloy industry in 2024

01. Overview of titanium alloy industry

Although titanium alloy has excellent properties, it is very difficult to process. When the Brinell hardness is less than 300, the tool sticking is serious; when it is greater than 370, it is too hard to process, and most titanium alloys have low thermal conductivity. The heat generated during the processing will not be quickly transferred to the workpiece, but will be concentrated in the workpiece. The cutting area, on the one hand, will cause rapid wear of the tool, on the other hand, it will destroy the surface integrity of the part, leading to a decrease in the geometric accuracy of the part and work hardening.

In particular, specific types of military titanium materials generally require multiple plastic processes. How to ensure uniform and stable quality and achieve industrial mass production is a technical challenge around the world.

At present, only five countries and regions in the world, the United States, Russia, Japan, China, and the former CIS (Ukraine and Kazakhstan), have complete titanium processing and manufacturing processes, and the world is competing for hegemony among the five powers.

In terms of classification, titanium alloys can be mainly divided into industrial pure titanium, α-type titanium alloys, β-type titanium alloys and α+β-type titanium alloys. Different structures are made according to different uses. They are widely used in aviation, chemical and metallurgical industries. widely.

02. Definition and classification of titanium alloys

Titanium alloy refers to an alloy made of titanium as a matrix, adding one or more alloying elements, and made by smelting or powder metallurgy. According to the type and content of alloying elements, titanium alloys can be divided into the following categories:

1. α-type titanium alloy: It mainly contains elements that stabilize the α phase, such as aluminum, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, etc. It has good creep resistance and low-temperature toughness, but has low strength and is suitable for the temperature range of 150~350°C. .

2. Beta titanium alloy: It mainly contains elements that stabilize the beta phase, such as molybdenum, niobium, vanadium, chromium, etc. It has high strength and high plasticity. Different structures and properties can be obtained by adjusting the heat treatment process. It is suitable for 350~550℃ temperature range.

3. α+β titanium alloy: It contains elements that stabilize both α and β phases. It is the most commonly used type of titanium alloy. It has high strength and toughness and can be controlled by controlling the proportion and distribution of α and β phases. Adjustable performance, suitable for the temperature range of -250~500℃.

4. Nearly β-type titanium alloy: contains a small amount of elements that stabilize the α phase, is mainly composed of β phase, has high strength and high ductility, can obtain high strength and toughness through aging treatment, and is suitable for the temperature range of 150~600°C.

03. Application fields of titanium alloys

Titanium alloys are widely used in various fields due to their excellent physical and chemical properties. According to different application requirements, titanium alloys can be made into various forms, such as plates, rods, pipes, wires, castings, forgings, powders, etc. The following are the main applications of titanium alloys in different fields:

1. Aerospace: Aerospace is one of the most important application fields of titanium alloys, accounting for more than 50% of global titanium consumption. Titanium alloys are mainly used in aircraft fuselage structural parts, engine parts, landing gear parts, etc., and in spacecraft, they are mainly used in rocket engine parts, satellite structural parts, etc. Because titanium alloys have high strength-to-weight ratio and high temperature resistance, they play an important role in improving flight speed and efficiency.

2. National defense and military industry: National defense and military industry is another important application field of titanium alloys, accounting for about 15% of global titanium consumption. Titanium alloys are mainly used in missile components, tank armor, submarine casings, etc. in the national defense industry and play an important role in improving the performance and reliability of weapons and equipment.

3. Medical devices: Medical devices are an emerging application field of titanium alloys, accounting for about 5% of global titanium consumption. Titanium alloys are mainly used in medical devices such as artificial joints, dental implants, surgical instruments, etc., and play an important role in improving biocompatibility and antibacterial properties.

4. Other industries: Titanium alloys are also widely used in other industrial fields, accounting for about 30% of global titanium consumption. Titanium alloys are mainly used in chemical equipment, petroleum equipment, electric power equipment, automobile parts, etc. in other industries and play an important role in improving corrosion resistance and wear resistance.

04. Analysis of the industrial chain of titanium alloys

The titanium alloy industry chain mainly includes the following links:

1. Titanium resource mining: Titanium resources refer to minerals or rocks containing titanium, mainly including rutile, ruthenite and ilmenite. my country is one of the countries with the richest titanium resources in the world, with about 20% of global reserves, but most of them are low-grade calcium-magnesium-type ilmenite, which is difficult to mine and has low utilization rate.

2. Smelting of ilmenite concentrate: ilmenite concentrate refers to substances containing a high proportion of titanium after mineral processing or chemical treatment, mainly including rutile concentrate and ruthenite concentrate. After smelting titanium concentrate, products such as titanium sponge or titanium dioxide can be obtained. Titanium sponge refers to the reduction of titanium metal from its oxides through methods such as chlorination or electrolysis to form a sponge-like substance, which is the basic raw material for manufacturing titanium alloys. Titanium dioxide refers to a substance that separates titanium metal from its oxides through sulfuric acid method or chlorination method to form a white powdery substance. It is the basic raw material for manufacturing titanium dioxide.

3. Titanium dioxide production: Titanium dioxide refers to a white pigment with titanium dioxide as the main component. It has the characteristics of high hiding power, high refractive index and high weather resistance. It is widely used in coatings, plastics, inks, papermaking and other industries. my country is the world's largest producer and consumer of titanium dioxide, with output reaching 3.51 million tons in 2020, accounting for more than 40% of the global total.

4. Titanium alloy production: Titanium alloy refers to an alloy made from titanium sponge as a matrix, adding one or more alloying elements, and made through smelting or powder metallurgy. According to different processing methods, titanium alloys can be divided into ingots, forgings, plates, bars, pipes, wires and other forms. my country is the world's largest producer and consumer of titanium sponge, with output reaching 125,000 tons in 2020, accounting for more than 30% of the global total.

5. Titanium alloy applications: After processing, titanium alloys can be used in various fields. According to different application requirements, titanium alloys can be made into various parts or equipment, such as aircraft structural parts, engine parts, missile parts, artificial joints, dental implants, surgical instruments, etc., and have the advantages of improving biocompatibility and antibacterial properties. important role.

6. Other industries: Titanium alloys are also widely used in other industrial fields, accounting for about 30% of global titanium consumption. Titanium alloys are mainly used in chemical equipment, petroleum equipment, electric power equipment, automobile parts, etc. in other industries and play an important role in improving corrosion resistance and wear resistance.

05. Analysis of the industrial chain of titanium alloys

The market size of titanium alloys mainly depends on the demand and development of its application fields. According to the "Global Titanium Alloy Market Report 2023", the global titanium alloy market size reached US$22.3 billion in 2020, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.5% from 2021 to 2026, reaching US$32.5 billion by 2026. The following is the market size and growth rate of titanium alloys in different application areas:

1. Aerospace: Aerospace is the largest application market for titanium alloys, accounting for 55% of the global titanium alloy market, reaching US$12.2 billion in 2020, and is expected to have a compound annual growth rate of 7.2% from 2021 to 2026. will reach US$18.4 billion per year. The demand for titanium alloys in the aerospace field is mainly affected by the development of global civil aviation and military aviation. With the development and put into use of new generation aircraft, as well as changes in the international security situation, the demand for titanium alloys will continue to grow.

2. National defense and military industry: National defense and military industry is the second largest application market for titanium alloys, accounting for 15% of the global titanium alloy market, reaching US$3.3 billion in 2020, and is expected to have a compound annual growth rate of 5.8% from 2021 to 2026. It will reach US$4.6 billion by 2026. The demand for titanium alloys in the national defense industry is mainly affected by global military competition and geopolitics. With the development and upgrading of new weapons and equipment, as well as the intensification of international conflicts and tensions, the demand for titanium alloys will continue to grow.

3. Medical devices: Medical devices are the fastest-growing application market for titanium alloys, accounting for 10% of the global titanium alloy market. It reached US$2.2 billion in 2020, and is expected to have a compound annual growth rate of 9.5% from 2021 to 2026. It will reach US$3.7 billion by 2026. The demand for titanium alloys in the field of medical devices is mainly affected by the aging of the global population and the improvement of medical standards. As people pursue health and quality of life, as well as the innovation and popularization of medical technology and equipment, the demand for titanium alloys will continue to grow. .

4. Other industries: Other industries are a small but stable application market for titanium alloys, accounting for 20% of the global titanium alloy market. It reached US$4.5 billion in 2020, and is expected to have a compound annual growth rate of 4.2% from 2021 to 2026. , will reach $5.7 billion by 2026. The demand for titanium alloys in other industrial fields is mainly affected by the development of the global chemical, petroleum, electric power, automobile and other industries. With the technological progress and environmental protection requirements of these industries, the demand for titanium alloys will continue to grow.

06. Analysis of development trends of titanium alloys

The development trend of titanium alloys is mainly affected by the needs and innovations in its application fields. According to the "Global Titanium Alloy Market Report 2023", the following are the future development trends of titanium alloys:

The application fields of titanium alloys will continue to expand and deepen, especially in medical devices and other industrial fields. More new products and new equipment will appear, placing higher requirements on the performance and quality of titanium alloys.

Technological innovation in titanium alloys will continue to advance and make breakthroughs, especially in new alloy materials and new processing methods. More new products and new equipment will appear, providing more optimization and improvements to the performance and quality of titanium alloys.

The industrial chain of titanium alloys will continue to be integrated and optimized, especially in resource mining and concentrate smelting. There will be more transnational cooperation and regional coordination, which will provide more reductions and improvements in the cost and efficiency of titanium alloys.

In short, titanium alloy is a strategic material with excellent properties such as high strength, low density, high temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance. It has extensive and important applications in aerospace, national defense, medical equipment and other fields. Analysis of the development status of China's titanium alloy industry in 2023 shows that the titanium alloy industry has huge development potential and market space, but it also faces some challenges and problems. It is necessary to further strengthen technological innovation and industrial collaboration to improve the quality and efficiency of titanium alloys. Reduce the cost and environmental impact of titanium alloys, meet the needs and standards of different fields, and enhance the international competitiveness and influence of titanium alloys.