Titanium possesses excellent corrosion resistance, mechanical properties, and processability, making it widely applicable across many sectors of the national economy. Particularly in chemical production, replacing stainless steel, nickel-based alloys, and other rare metals with titanium as a corrosion-resistant material holds significant importance for increasing output, improving product quality, extending equipment service life, reducing consumption, lowering costs, and preventing pollution.
1. Chemical Industry
Titanium exhibits excellent stability in various acid, alkali, salt media, and highly corrosive aluminum chloride environments. Thus, titanium serves as an outstanding corrosion-resistant material in the chemical industry and is increasingly utilized. For example, the use of titanium anodes and titanium wet chlorine gas coolers in the chlor-alkali industry has achieved remarkable economic benefits, earning titanium the title of a "revolution in chlor-alkali production."
Chlorate decomposition tank
2. Petroleum Industry
Titanium demonstrates exceptional stability in organic compounds, except under high-temperature exposure to five organic acids (formic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, trichloroacetic acid, and trifluoroacetic acid). Therefore, titanium plates are ideal structural materials in petroleum refining and petrochemical industries, used to manufacture heat exchangers, reactors, high-pressure vessels, and distillation towers.
3. Fertilizer Industry
Urea is a critical fertilizer. During production, urea, ammonia, ammonium carbamate, and their mixtures are highly corrosive under high temperature and pressure. Replacing stainless steel with titanium significantly extends equipment lifespan and reduces maintenance downtime, making titanium equipment essential for modern urea production.
4. Power Industry
Titanium’s stability in corrosive hot water containing chlorides and sulfides has led to its widespread adoption in thermal power plants as cooling pipes for heat exchangers. Replacing copper-nickel alloy pipes with thin-walled titanium tubes not only enhances service life but also drastically cuts maintenance costs, delivering substantial economic benefits.
Monel 400 heat exchanger
5. Paper and Textile Industries
Titanium resists corrosion from bleaching agents like chlorine dioxide, chlorous acid, and chlorites. Consequently, it is vital in bleaching equipment for textile dyeing and paper industries. For instance, titanium-based chlorite bleaching machines perform exceptionally. Titanium is also used in synthetic fiber production for spinnerets.
6. Pharmaceutical and Medical Industries
Titanium’s strong gas absorption properties make it valuable in electronic and high-vacuum technologies. Its biocompatibility and resistance to bodily corrosion allow broad applications in medical devices and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Conclusion
Due to its unparalleled corrosion resistance, mechanical performance, and biocompatibility, titanium is extensively used in metallurgy, petroleum, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paper, textiles, seawater desalination, shipbuilding, and more. It is earnestly hoped that titanium’s applications will continue expanding across industries, benefiting global communities.