Need help with metallurgy

Well if the application is critical which demands corrision restent ,strength and reduce weight and can with stand high working temperature applicationsthen you can use titanium if youcan justifie the cost .Note titanium demands inert atmosphere special welding process .i have worked with Titanium on boadrd submarines where the atmosphere is highly corrosive and working temperature was very high.

regards

murali

I think the titatanium will scare the daylights out of you when you are quoted a price. The ductility of stainless-steel coupled with a weight approaching aluminum does not come cheap! A good source for the pros and cons, and workability and weldability of all common metals and their alloys is the Machinery's Handbook that is available from the Industrial Press. Just look it up on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc..

There are, no doubt, metallurgy-specific handbooks available, but the Machinery's Handbook is hard to beat. Especially since it is nowadays available in large print format for us old guys!

Ing. Robert Forbus

Hi: what about hiring a professional?

^Agree.

We can't give you anything useful unless you tell us what exactly you gonna do with the material. What's the finish product will do. What environment it'll be in. What force, load the part will see.

Titanium is tough but not strong. It'll resist corrosion and wear but will bend easily. Hence its usually used as a coating.

Try unattainium. It is an alloy of magnetic aluminum

Hi: I had no notice of that metal. Can you tell us a little more? Thanks

I believe he is referring to unobtanium, a fictional metal that many race teams use in producing engine/suspension components.

In other words... you've been had.

To the original question, there are so many metals, alloys and heat treatments that no one material will suit every purpose. Perhaps you can tell us exactly what you intend to fabricate, what environment it will be used in and what machining/forming you need to do. This will give a starting point in determining which alloy/heat treatment will be best.

There are many metals and alloys that meet your requirements; including SST and Al, both of which are available in many different alloys, forms and structures. I doubt very much whether Ti in any form would be practical for your application. You need to select the material based on the application and manufacturing process.

One respondant mentioned the Machinery's Handbook and that is a very good general reference.

A better source for materials information is ASM International and their Metals Handbook Series which are published in several volumes; each of which deals with a specific family of materials. ASM also publishes other books dealing with materials and materials processing.

I would also recommend looking into the ASM Institute courses, seminars, and other programs. A particularly good one is, "Metals for the Non-Metallurgist" which may be available online.

If you have acess to a good technical library, you can probably find the Metals Handbooks and other helpful materials information there.

Good luck.

Suggest you contact a local metallurgist. If there's none locally, contact your nearest engineering college for assistance.

6063-T6 aluminum is very light weight, readily bendable, and resist corrosion well. We mig weld tons of it a week using a 5356 alloy for strength. Some of the 4000 series wires are easier to weld with and have less clean up time. Other than the fact that you have to push the puddle instead of pull it, it is very easy to weld.

I built a small river jet boat and used marine aluminun. Any supplier will show you their marine grades, usually two. one will bend better than the other. I found fresh mig solid wire to weld both, and all went well. I am impressed by the stability, surface of the metal. There is not a lot of the usual black oxide. The oxide of exposed marine aluminum is more of a patina, and is thin and tough. Use in salt water would require a sacrificial metal usualy magnesium, in the water, near the prop or jet. I used some stainless for rib and stiffeners, bolted in with stainless bolts and had no oxidation problems.