Non-Ferrous Metals Standards: A comprehensive Guide
Non-ferrous metals such as titanium, zirconium, tantalum, niobium, hafnium, tungsten, and molybdenum play a crucial role in a wide array of industries due to their unique properties, including exceptional corrosion resistance, high-temperature performance, and impressive strength-to-weight ratios. These metals are fundamental in fields like aerospace, electronics, power generation, petrochemicals, chemical processing, marine engineering, and oil and gas.
Given their critical applications, standardized regulations ensure the consistent quality and performance of these metals in demanding environments. In this post, we will provide an overview of the key standards associated with each metal, offering guidance on how to navigate material selection, compliance, and performance optimization.
Titanium and Titanium Alloys
Titanium is prized for its high strength, low density, and outstanding corrosion resistance, making it indispensable in industries like aerospace, marine, chemical processing, and oil and gas. The development of titanium alloys has further expanded its use in high-performance applications where weight and strength are critical factors.
Common Applications:
- Aerospace: Airframes, engine components, landing gear, and fasteners.
- Power Generation: Turbine blades and heat exchangers.
- Chemical Processing: Corrosion-resistant equipment for harsh environments.
- Marine Engineering: Propeller shafts, pumps, and valves.
Titanium and Titanium Alloy Standards:
1. ASTM Standards
ASTM B265 Titanium and titanium alloy strip, sheet and plate
ASTM B299 Titanium sponge
ASTM B338 Titanium and titanium alloy seamless and welded tubes for condensers and heat exchangers
ASTM B348 Titanium and titanium alloy bars and billets
ASTM B363 Seamless and welded pure titanium and titanium alloy welding fittings
ASTM B367 Titanium and titanium alloy castings
ASTM B817 Powder metallurgy titanium alloy structural parts
ASTM B381 Titanium and titanium alloy forgings
ASTM B861 Titanium and titanium alloy seamless tubes
ASTM B862 Titanium and titanium alloy welded tubes
ASTM B863 Titanium and titanium alloy wires
ASTM B 891 Titanium and titanium alloy seamless and welded tubes for condensers and heat exchangers with integral fins
ASTM F67 Pure titanium for surgical implants
ASTM F136 Deformed Ti-6Al-4V ELI (Extra Low Interstitial) alloy for surgical implants
ASTM F620 α+β titanium alloy extrusions for surgical implants
ASTM F1108 Ti-6Al-4V alloy castings for surgical implants
ASTM F1295 Deformed Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy for surgical implants
ASTM F1341 Pure titanium wire
ASTM F1472 Deformed Ti-6Al-4V alloy for surgical implants
ASTM F1580 Titanium and Ti-6Al-4V alloy powders for surgical implant coatings
ASTM F1709 High purity titanium sputtering targets for electronic thin films
ASTM F1713 Deformed Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy for surgical implants
ASTM F1813 Deformed Ti-12Mo-6Zr-2Fe alloy for surgical implants
ASTM F2063 Deformed nickel-titanium shapes for medical devices and surgical implants
ASTM F2063 Shape memory alloys for medical devices and surgical implants
ASTM F2066 Deformed Ti-15Mo alloy shape memory alloy seamless tube for surgical implants
ASTM F2633 Deformed nickel-titanium shape memory alloy seamless tube for medical devices and surgical implants
ASTM F2146 Deformed Ti-3Al-2.5V alloy seamless tube for surgical implants
2. Aerospace Material Standards
AMS4900 Titanium sheet, strip and plate (annealed state) (380Mpa)
AMS4901 Titanium sheet, strip and plate (annealed state) (485Mpa)
AMS4902 Titanium sheet, strip and plate (annealed state) (275Mpa)
AMS4907 Ultra-low interstitial element grade Ti-6Al-4V alloy sheet, strip and plate (annealed state)
AMS4910 Ti-5Al-2.5Sn alloy sheet, strip and medium and thick plate (annealed state)
AMS4911 Ti-6Al-4V sheet, strip and medium plate (annealed state)
AMS4921 Titanium bars, forgings and rings (annealed state) (485Mpa)
AMS4924 Ultra-low interstitial element grade Ti-5Al-2.5Sn alloy bars, forgings and rings (annealed state)
AMS4926 Ti-5Al-2.5Sn bars and rings (annealed state) (760Mpa)
AMS4928 Ti-6Al-4V alloy bars, forgings and rings (annealed state) (825Mpa)
AMS4941 Titanium welded pipe
AMS4942 Seamless titanium pipe (annealed state) (275Mpa)
AMS4930 Ultra-low interstitial element grade Ti-6Al-4V alloy bars, forgings and rings (annealed state)
AMS4951 Industrial pure titanium welding wire
AMS4954 Ti-6Al-4V alloy welding wire
AMS4965 Ti-6Al-4V alloy rods, forgings and rings (solution treatment and stabilization treatment)
AMS4966 Ti-5Al-2.5Sn forgings
AMS4967 Heat-treatable Ti-6Al-4V alloy rods, forgings and rings (annealed state)
ASM4972 Ti-8Al-1Mo-1V alloy rods and rings (solution treatment and stabilization treatment)
ASM4973 Ti-8Al-1Mo-1V titanium alloy forgings (solution treatment and stabilization treatment)
ASM4975 Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo alloy rods and rings (solution treatment and stabilization treatment)
ASM4983 Ti-10V-2F-3Al forgings (solution treatment and aging)
ASM4985 Ti-6Al-4V alloy forgings cast by wax or graphite tamping method
ASM4991 Ti-6Al-4V alloy forgings (annealed state)
3. US Military Standards
MIL-T-9046 Titanium and titanium alloy sheets, strips and plates
MIL-T-9047 Titanium and titanium alloy bars and forgings
MIL-R-81588 Titanium and titanium alloy round bars and wires
MIL-F-83142 Titanium and titanium alloy forgings (high quality grade)
MIL-T-46077 Titanium alloy weldable armor thick plates
MIL-T-13405 Titanium powder
MIL-T-46035 High-strength titanium alloys, deformed materials
MIL-T-81556 Titanium and titanium alloy round bars, bars, and extrusions with special shapes
MIL-T-81200 Heat treatment of titanium and titanium alloys
4. Russian Standards
ΓOCT 17746 Titanium sponge
ΓOCT 19807 Deformed titanium and titanium alloy grades
ΓOCT 22178 Titanium and titanium alloy thin plates
ΓOCT 23755 Titanium and titanium alloy thick plates
ΓOCT 21945 Hot-rolled seamless titanium tubes
ΓOCT 22897 Cold-rolled seamless titanium tubes
ΓOCT 24890 Welded titanium tubes
ΓOCT 26492 Titanium and titanium alloy rolled bars
5. Japanese Standards
JIS H2151 Sponge titanium
JIS H4600 Titanium and titanium alloy plates and strips
JIS H4630 Titanium and titanium alloy seamless tubes
JIS H4631 Titanium and titanium alloy heat exchanger tubes
JIS H4635 Titanium and titanium alloy welded pipes
JIS H4650 Titanium and titanium alloy rods
JIS H4657 Titanium and titanium alloy forgings
JIS H4670 Titanium and titanium alloy wires
JIS H5801 Titanium and titanium alloy castings
6. German Standards
DIN 17850 Chemical composition of industrial pure titanium pressure-processed materials
DIN 17851 Chemical composition of titanium alloy pressure-processed materials
DIN 17860 Titanium and titanium alloy plates and strips
DIN 17861 Titanium and titanium alloy seamless pipes
DIN 17862 Titanium and titanium alloy rods
DIN 17863 Titanium and titanium alloy wires
DIN 17864 Titanium and titanium alloy forgings
DIN 17865 Cast titanium
DIN 17866 Titanium and titanium alloy welded pipes
DIN 931 Hexagonal bolt half thread
DIN 933 Hexagonal bolt full thread
DIN 931 Hexagonal nut
DIN 125 Ordinary gasket
DIN 127 Spring gasket
7. French Standards
NF L21-110 Pure titanium T40 forging bar billet
NF L21-270 TA6V rivet wire rod
NF L14-601 TA6V forging bar
NF L14-602 TA6V forgings
NF L14-603 TA6V forging bar stock
NF L14-604 TA6V forgings
NF L14-611 TA6VZr5D bar stock
NF L14-612 TA6VZr5D forgings
8. ISO Standards (standard for titanium for surgical implants)
ISO 5832-2 Pure titanium
ISO 5832-3 Ti-6Al-4V processed materials
ISO 5832-11 Ti-6Al-7Nb processed materials
9. British Standards
BS2TA1 Industrial pure titanium sheet and strip (T.S. 290-420Mpa)
BS2TA2 Industrial pure titanium sheet and strip (T.S. 390-540Mpa)
BS2TA3 Industrial pure titanium bars and profiles for machining (T.S. 390-540Mpa)
BS2TA4 Industrial pure titanium forging billets (T.S. 390-540Mpa)
BS2TA5 Industrial pure titanium forging billets (T.S. 390-540Mpa)
BS2TA6 Industrial pure titanium sheet and strip (T.S. 570-730Mpa)
BS2TA7 Industrial pure titanium bars and profiles for machining (T.S. 540-740Mpa)
BS2TA8 Industrial pure titanium forging billets (T.S. 540-740Mpa)
BS2TA9 Industrial pure titanium forgings (T.S. 540-740Mpa)
BS2TA10 Titanium-aluminum-vanadium alloy sheets and strips (T.S. 960-1270Mpa)
BS2TA11 Titanium-aluminum-vanadium alloy bars and profiles for machining (T.S. 900-1160Mpa)
BS2TA12 Titanium-aluminum-vanadium alloy forgings (T.S. 900-1160Mpa)
BS2TA13 Titanium-aluminum-vanadium alloy forgings (T.S. 900-1160Mpa)
BS2TA21 Titanium-copper alloy sheets and strips (T.S. 540-770Mpa)
BS2TA22 Titanium-copper alloy bars and profiles for machining (T.S. 540-770Mpa)
BS2TA23 Titanium-copper alloy forgings (T.S. 540-770Mpa)
BS2TA24 Titanium-copper alloy forgings (T.S. 540-770Mpa)
BS2TA28 Titanium-aluminum-vanadium alloy forgings and wires (T.S. 1100-1300Mpa)
BSTA38 Titanium-aluminum-molybdenum-tin-silicon-carbon alloy rods for machining (T.S. 1250-1420Mpa)
BSTA39 Titanium-aluminum-molybdenum-tin-silicon-carbon alloy forgings (T.S. 1250-1420Mpa)
BSTA40 Titanium-aluminum-molybdenum-tin-silicon-carbon alloy rods for machining (T.S. 1250-1375Mpa)
BSTA41 Titanium-aluminum-molybdenum-tin-silicon-carbon alloy forgings (T.S. 1250-1375Mpa)
BSTA42 Forgings of titanium-aluminum-molybdenum-tin-silicon-carbon alloy (T.S. 1250-1375Mpa)
BSTA45 Rods and profiles of titanium-aluminum-molybdenum-tin-silicon alloy for machining (T.S. 1100-1280Mpa)
BSTA46 Rods and profiles of titanium-aluminum-molybdenum-tin-silicon alloy for machining (T.S. 1050-1220Mpa)
BSTA47 Forging billets of titanium-aluminum-molybdenum-tin-silicon alloy (T.S. 1050-1220Mpa)
BSTA48 Forging billets of titanium-aluminum-molybdenum-tin-silicon alloy (T.S. 1050-1220Mpa)
BSTA49 Rods and profiles of titanium-aluminum-molybdenum-tin-silicon alloy for machining (T.S. 1000-1200Mpa)
BSTA50 Forging billets of titanium-aluminum-molybdenum-tin-silicon alloy (T.S. 1000-1200Mpa)
BSTA51 Forgings of titanium-aluminum-molybdenum-tin-silicon alloy (T.S. 1000-1200Mpa)
BSTA52 Sheets and strips of titanium-copper alloy (T.S. 690-920Mpa)
BSTA56 Thick plates of titanium-aluminum-vanadium alloy (T.S. 895-1150Mpa)
BSTA57 Thick plates of titanium-aluminum-molybdenum-tin-silicon (T.S. 1030-1220Mpa)
BSTA58 Thick plates of titanium-copper alloy (T.S. 520-640Mpa)
Zirconium and Zirconium Alloys
Zirconium’s exceptional corrosion resistance, especially in acidic environments, makes it a preferred material for chemical processing industries, nuclear power, and even aerospace applications. Zirconium alloys, including Zr702 and Zr705, offer a balance of strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance, particularly in situations involving high temperatures and aggressive chemicals.
Common Applications:
- Nuclear Power: Fuel rods, cladding materials, and reactor components due to their low neutron absorption.
- Chemical Processing: Pressure vessels, piping, and valves in sulfuric and hydrochloric acid production.
- Aerospace: Heat-resistant components and materials for fuel systems.
Zirconium and Zirconium Standards:
ASTM B494 – Raw Zirconium
ASTM B523 – Zirconium and Zirconium Alloy Seamless and Welded Tubes
ASTM B658 – Zirconium and Zirconium Alloy Seamless and Welded Tubes
ASTM B752 – General Purpose Corrosion-Resistant Zirconium-Based Castings
Tantalum and Tantalum Alloys
Tantalum’s outstanding resistance to corrosion, particularly to acids, makes it invaluable in chemical processing. Its biocompatibility also positions it as a critical material in medical devices and implants. In addition, tantalum alloys provide excellent high-temperature strength and stability, often used in electronics and aerospace components.
Common Applications:
- Chemical Processing: Heat exchangers, lined piping, and reactors handling corrosive materials like hydrochloric acid.
- Electronics: Capacitors, especially in high-performance computing.
- Medical Devices: Implants and surgical instruments due to biocompatibility.
- Aerospace: High-temperature shielding, rocket nozzles, and turbine blades.
Tantalum and Tantalum Alloy Standards:
ASTM B364 – Tantalum and Tantalum Alloy Ingots
ASTM B365 – Tantalum and Tantalum Alloy Rods and Wires
ASTM B521 – Tantalum and Tantalum Alloy Seamless and Welded Tubes
ASTM B708 – Tantalum and Tantalum Alloy Plate, Sheet, and Strip
Niobium and Niobium Alloys
Niobium is valued for its strength at high temperatures, excellent superconducting properties, and resistance to oxidation. It is often alloyed with other metals like titanium to enhance its properties, particularly in aerospace and power generation applications. Niobium alloys are also key materials in superconducting magnets for scientific research.
Common Applications:
- Aerospace: Jet engine components and rocket parts where high-temperature performance is crucial.
- Superconductors: Niobium-titanium (Nb-Ti) and niobium-tin (Nb3Sn) alloys for particle accelerators and MRI machines.
- Chemical Processing: Acid-resistant equipment, particularly in sulfuric acid production.
- Electronics: Niobium capacitors in compact, high-reliability circuits.
Niobium and Niobium Alloy Standards:
ASTM B391 – Niobium and Niobium Alloy Ingots
ASTM B392 – Niobium and Niobium Alloy Rods and Wires
ASTM B393 – Niobium and Niobium Alloy Strips, Sheets, and Plates
ASTM B394 – Niobium and Niobium Alloy Seamless and Welded Tubes
ASTM B652 – Niobium and Hafnium Alloy Ingots
ASTM B654 – Niobium and Hafnium Alloy Foil, Sheet, Strip, and Plate
ASTM B655 – Niobium and Hafnium Alloy Rod, Strip, and Wire
ASTM B884 – Niobium-Titanium Alloy Billet, Rod, and Bar for Superconductivity
Hafnium and Hafnium Alloys
Hafnium is a key material in industries requiring high-temperature stability and corrosion resistance, especially in nuclear reactors and aerospace. Its ability to absorb neutrons makes it ideal for control rods in nuclear reactors, while its heat resistance allows for use in jet engines and spacecraft.
Common Applications:
- Nuclear Power: Control rods and structural components due to neutron absorption properties.
- Aerospace: High-temperature applications such as turbine blades and rocket nozzles.
- Electronics: Thin films in semiconductor manufacturing.
Hafnium and Hafnium Alloy Standards:
ASTM B737 – Hot Rolled and Cold Worked Hafnium Strip and Wire
ASTM B776 – Hafnium and Hafnium Alloy Strip, Sheet, and Plate
Tungsten and Tungsten Alloys
Tungsten is known for having the highest melting point of all metals, combined with remarkable density and strength. These properties make tungsten essential in high-temperature and high-stress applications, such as those found in aerospace, defense, and energy generation. Tungsten alloys are frequently used where durability and heat resistance are paramount.
Common Applications:
- Aerospace: Rocket nozzles, heat shields, and counterweights in aircraft and spacecraft.
- Energy: Electrical contacts, X-ray tubes, and radiation shielding due to high density.
- Defense: Armor-piercing projectiles and other military hardware.
Tungsten and Tungsten Alloy Standards:
ASTM B482 – Preparation of Tungsten and Tungsten Alloy Plates for Electroplating
ASTM B760 – Tungsten Plate, Sheet, and Foil
ASTM B777 – Tungsten-Based High-Density Metal
Molybdenum and Molybdenum Alloys
Molybdenum boasts excellent strength and stability at high temperatures, making it ideal for high-performance applications. It is highly resistant to heat and corrosion and is often alloyed with other metals to improve the properties of high-temperature materials.
Common Applications:
- Power Generation: Components in gas turbines, boilers, and heat exchangers for their high-temperature stability.
- Aerospace: High-temperature structural materials, including jet engines and exhaust systems.
- Chemical Processing: Molybdenum-based alloys are used for corrosion resistance in aggressive chemical environments.
Molybdenum and Molybdenum Standards:
ASTM B386 – Molybdenum and Molybdenum Alloy Plates, Sheets, Strips, and Foil
ASTM B387 – Molybdenum and Molybdenum Alloy Rods and Wires
Reactive and Refractory Metal Clad Standards:
ASTM B898 – Reactive and Refractory Metal Clad Plate
Material Selection Guidance: Key Considerations
For industries like aerospace, electronics, chemical processing, and oil and gas, selecting the right non-ferrous metal alloy is critical to the success of the application. Below are a few essential considerations to guide your material selection:
- Corrosion Resistance: Metals like titanium, zirconium, and tantalum excel in highly corrosive environments, making them ideal for chemical processing and marine engineering.
- High-Temperature Performance: For applications involving extreme heat, such as in aerospace and power generation, materials like tungsten, molybdenum, and niobium offer exceptional stability and strength.
- Mechanical Properties: Consider the metal’s strength-to-weight ratio, ductility, and hardness, especially in fields like aerospace and electronics, where weight and durability are major concerns.
- Nuclear Compatibility: Metals like zirconium and hafnium are essential in the nuclear industry due to their neutron absorption and resistance to radiation.
By adhering to the appropriate standards and selecting materials based on the specific needs of your industry, you can ensure that your equipment and products meet the highest standards of safety, performance, and reliability.
Conclusion
Understanding the standards and applications of non-ferrous metals like titanium, zirconium, tantalum, niobium, hafnium, tungsten, and molybdenum is essential for industries operating in extreme environments. Whether it’s the corrosion resistance of tantalum, the high-temperature strength of molybdenum, or the nuclear compatibility of hafnium, these materials serve as the backbone for advanced industrial applications across the aerospace, chemical processing, oil and gas, and electronics sectors.
By aligning with the appropriate standards, you can ensure the highest level of performance, safety, and reliability, making it easier to navigate complex industrial challenges.
