Precision titanium alloy structures and their products are mainly applied in high-precision and high-tech fields such as automotive parts, communication equipment, aerospace components, and high-speed locomotives, where there are strict requirements for the processing accuracy of structural parts and the quality precision of products. In addition, they are also used in many pillar industries of national economic development, such as electrical equipment manufacturing and precision mechanical and electrical equipment manufacturing. Titanium alloy is a new type of structural material with excellent comprehensive properties, such as low density (~4.5g cm-3), high specific strength and specific fracture toughness, good fatigue strength and crack propagation resistance, good low-temperature toughness, and excellent corrosion resistance. The maximum working temperature of some titanium alloys is 550oC, and it is expected to reach 700oC. Therefore, it has been increasingly widely used in industries such as aviation, aerospace, chemical engineering, and shipbuilding, and has developed rapidly. The relationship between (σ0.2/density) of light alloys, steel, etc. and temperature shows that the specific strength of titanium alloys is higher than that of other light metals, steel, and nickel alloys, and this advantage can be maintained up to about 500oC. Therefore, some titanium alloys are suitable for manufacturing gas turbine components.
In 2011, the output of titanium alloy die-cast structural components in China accounted for 85.90% of the total output of metal die-cast structural components, up from 65.68% in 2000, making it an important development area in China's metal structure manufacturing. At the same time, there is a trend of the world's titanium alloy manufacturing industry accelerating its transfer to China, with the formation of industrial clusters and cost advantages being one of the main driving forces. The era of titanium alloy in China is dawning. Materials and aircraft have been mutually promoting each other's development. Aviation materials have always played a leading and fundamental role. According to the different parts of use, aviation materials can be divided into airframe materials and engine materials. In the development process of modern materials science and technology, titanium alloy airframe materials not only lead the development of aircraft themselves, but also drive the progress of ground transportation vehicles and space vehicles. The development of engine materials, on the other hand, continuously promotes the innovation and renewal of the power industry and the energy sector.
Research shows that in the automotive sector, China's auto industry has maintained a sustained high growth rate since the beginning of this century, with a compound annual growth rate of 18.5%. In 2011, although the pace of China's auto industry slowed down, from the perspective of the country's macroeconomic development trend, second- and third-tier cities will become the focus of economic development in the future. Relevant data indicates that the market in first-tier cities has been declining by two to three percentage points annually, while the market in third-tier cities has been growing by two to three percentage points annually. By 2020, the total number of cars in China's third-tier cities is expected to account for about 55% of the national share.
In the field of communication, as of the end of February 2012, the number of mobile phone users in China exceeded 1 billion, among which the scale of 3G users had reached 140 million and was still growing at a high speed. Currently, the penetration rate of 3G users has exceeded one seventh of the total number of mobile phone users and is expected to rise to 20% in the third quarter of 2012. Due to the high affinity of titanium with oxygen and water vapor in the air, a stable and firmly adhered permanent oxide film TiO2 will form on the surface of titanium and titanium alloys at room temperature. Moreover, this titanium oxide film can be regenerated immediately after damage. Because this film enhances its corrosion resistance, titanium is widely used in industries with harsh environments such as the chemical industry, processing industry and power generation industry.
In addition, with the advancement of the country's 12th Five-Year Plan, China's aviation and military industry as well as the high-speed rail industry have also entered a fast development track.
The research team of the Precision Titanium Alloy Structure Manufacturing Industry at Qianzhan Industry Research Institute stated that with economic development, global demand for automobiles, communications, and other sectors is continuously increasing, and people's preference for lightweight and environmentally friendly materials is growing. Precision titanium alloy structural components, especially those with high precision and stable product performance, will gradually replace other metal structural components and become the mainstream products in the metal structure manufacturing industry.
It is estimated that the output value of precision titanium alloy structural parts in the communication field in China this year can reach 10 billion yuan. In addition, the automotive production capacity is accelerating its transfer to China, and world-renowned parts enterprises are accelerating their layout in China. The output value of precision titanium alloy structural parts will exceed 100 billion yuan.
