Titanium alloy plates play a pivotal role in the manufacture and application of various ships with a series of unique and excellent properties.
Unique properties of titanium alloy plates
Titanium alloy plates have many remarkable characteristics. Its low density makes the overall structure lighter; its high specific strength and high yield strength ratio give it excellent load-bearing capacity; its good plastic toughness and high elongation mean that it has good deformation ability and is not easy to break. However, the development, smelting, and use of titanium are difficult, which easily leads to the misunderstanding that titanium is difficult to apply. In fact, titanium reserves are quite abundant, accounting for 0.6% of the reserves in the region, ranking ninth.
The chemical activity of titanium has two sides. At room temperature, titanium is very stable in air and does not react chemically easily. However, in high-temperature environments, it exhibits extremely strong chemical activity and can react with a variety of gases. In terms of thermal conductivity, titanium, as a metal, is not slow in thermal conductivity, but it is much slower than some ordinary metals. Data shows that the thermal conductivity of titanium is close to that of stainless steel, about one-fourteenth of that of aluminum, and one-fifth of that of iron, which also makes it have great application potential in the automotive industry.
Key application areas of titanium plates in the shipbuilding industry
Widely used equipment and components
The application of titanium plates in the shipbuilding industry is mainly due to their excellent corrosion resistance, low density, memory, and non-magnetic properties. The application range of titanium and titanium alloys is extremely wide, covering various types of ships such as nuclear submarines, submersibles, atomic icebreakers, hydrofoils, hovercraft, minesweepers, as well as propellers, whip antennas, seawater pipelines, condensers, heat exchangers, acoustic devices, fire-fighting equipment, and many other parts on ships. At present, the main titanium alloys used include industrial pure titanium, Ti-SARV, Ti-6Al-4V, Ti-6Al-2Nb-Ta-0.8Mo, Ti-3Al-2.5V, Ti-3B (Ti-4Al-2V), NT-7M (Ti-2Al-2.5Zr), etc.
Application practice of all-titanium boats
F1 has accumulated rich practical experience in manufacturing titanium boats. In the 1990s, Toho Titanium Co., Ltd., Nissei Industrial Co., Ltd., Tengxin Shipyard, and Jiangteng Shipyard all devoted themselves to the construction of all-titanium fishing boats or speedboats. All-titanium boats have many significant advantages. The light weight makes the ship more flexible; the high speed can reach farther destinations in the same time; the small engine reduces the space occupied by the equipment; the low fuel cost reduces the operating cost; the low carbon dioxide emissions meet environmental protection requirements; no surface coating is required, which simplifies the maintenance process; the accessories are easy to clean, keeping the ship clean. However, all-titanium boats also have some disadvantages. The high material cost increases the initial investment; the processing and manufacturing process is difficult, and the technology and equipment requirements are high; the protection requirements are strict, and additional protection measures are required to ensure its performance. The results of ship tests show that all-titanium boats perform well in terms of speed, stability, vibration, and noise.
Innovation of Ship Pumps, Valves, and Pipeline Systems
The working environment of ship pumps, valves, and pipeline systems is harsh. When made of copper and stainless steel, the service life is only 2-5 years. The replacement of titanium alloy has brought good results, especially for high-flow dynamic seawater pipelines. Russia has formulated strict standards for the life of ship pipelines, stipulating three life requirements: the first docking overhaul is 8-9 years; the service life should be no less than 15 years; the full life requires that all grades of ships operate reliably within 25-30 years. This fully demonstrates the reliability and durability of titanium alloys in ship pipeline systems.
In summary, titanium alloy plates have been widely used in many fields of the shipbuilding industry with their unique performance advantages, providing a strong guarantee for the performance improvement and reliable operation of ships.
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