WELDING OF TITANIUM ALLOYS

1. INTRODUCTION

The high strength, low weight and outstanding corrosion resistance possessed by titanium and titanium
alloys have led to a wide and diversified range of successful applications in aerospace, chemical plant,
power generation, oil and gas extraction, medical, sports, and other industries. Welding of titanium by
various arc welding processes is widely practiced, and good service performance of welds is proven.
Newer joining methods, such as laser welding, have been successfully adapted for titanium. Application
of appropriate welding technology to the design, manufacture and application of titanium products is as
important a step in design as the specification of the alloy. Titanium is a unique material; as strong as steel
but half its weight, with excellent corrosion resistance. Traditional applications are in the aerospace and
chemical industries. More recently, specific alloys are finding use in the manufacture of implantable
medical devices and sensors.

2. MATERIAL TYPES

2.1 Alloy Groupings

There are basically four types of alloys distinguished by their microstructure:

? Titanium - Commercially pure (98 to 99.5% Ti) or strengthened by small additions of oxygen,
nitrogen, carbon and iron. The alloys are readily fusion weldable;

? Alpha alloys - These are largely single-phase alloys containing up to 7% aluminium and a small
amount (< 0.3%) of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon. The alloys are fusion welded in the annealed
condition;

? Alpha-beta alloys - These have a characteristic two-phase microstructure formed by the addition
of up to 6% aluminium and varying amounts of beta forming constituents - vanadium, chromium
and molybdenum. The alloys are readily welded in the annealed condition;

? Ni-Ti alloys.

Alloys which contain a large amount of the beta phase, stabilised by elements such as chromium, are not
easily welded. Commonly used alloys are listed in Table 1 with the appropriate ASTM grade, the
internationally recognised designation. In industry, the most widely welded titanium alloys are the
commercially pure grades and variants of the 6%Al and 4%V alloy.

Table 1: Commonly used titanium alloys and the recommended filler material

UTS (min)
ASTM Grade Composition Filler Comments
MPa
1 Ti-0.15O2 240 ERTi-1 Commercially pure

2 Ti-0.20O2 340 ERTi-2 ,,

4 Ti-0.35O2 550 ERTi-4 ,,

7 Ti-0.20 O2-0.2Pd 340 ERTi-7 ,,

9 Ti-3Al-2.5V 615 ERTi-9 Tube components

5 Ti-6Al-4V 900 ERTi-5 'Workhorse' alloy

23 Ti-6Al-4V ELI 900 ERTi-5ELI Low interstitials

25 Ti-6Al-4V-0.06Pd 900 ERTi-25 Corrosion resistant grade

A wide variety of products use the Ni-Ti alloys including bend-resistant cell phone antennas, eyewear
frames, orthodontic arch wires, and vascular stents used to prop open blocked arteries.

2.3 Filler Alloys

Titanium and its alloys can be welded using matching filler composition; compositions are given in AWS
A5.16-2004. Recommended filler wires for the commonly used titanium alloys are also given in Table 1.
When welding higher strength titanium alloys, fillers of a lower strength are sometimes used to achieve
adequate weld metal ductility. For example, an unalloyed filler ERTi-2 can be used to weld Ti-6Al-4V and
Ti-5Al-2.5Sn alloys in order to balance weldability, strength and formability requirements.

3. WELD IMPERFECTIONS

Titanium and its alloys are readily fusion welded providing suitable precautions are taken. TIG and
plasma processes, with argon or argon-helium shielding gas, are used for welding thin section
components, typically < 10 mm. Autogenous welding can be used for a section thickness of < 3 mm with
TIG, or < 6 mm with plasma welding. Pulsed MIG is preferred to dip transfer MIG because of the lower
spatter level. The most likely imperfections in fusion welds are:

• Weld metal porosity;

Normally, there is no issue with solidification cracking or hydrogen cracking.

3.1 Weld Metal Porosity

Weld metal porosity is the most frequent weld defect. Porosity arises when gas bubbles are trapped
between dendrites during solidification. In titanium, hydrogen from moisture in the arc environment or
contamination on the filler and parent metal surface is the most likely cause of porosity. It is essential that
the joint and surrounding surface areas are cleaned by first degreasing either by steam, solvent, alkaline
or vapour degreasing. Any surface oxide should then be removed by pickling (HF-HNO3 solution), light
grinding or scratch brushing with a clean, stainless steel wire brush. After wiping with a lint-free cloth, care
should be taken not to touch the surface before welding. When TIG welding thin section components, the
joint area should be dry-machined to produce a smooth surface finish.

3.2 Embrittlement

Embrittlement can be caused by weld metal contamination by either gas absorption or by dissolving
contaminants such as dust (iron particles) on the surface. At temperatures above 500°C, titanium has a
very high affinity for oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. The weld pool, heat affected zone and cooling weld
bead must be protected from oxidation by an inert gas shield (argon or helium). An example pf trailing gas
shields is shown in Figure 1.
When oxidation occurs, the thin layer of surface oxide generates an interference colour. The colour can
indicate whether the shielding was adequate or an unacceptable degree of contamination has occurred.
A silver or straw colour shows satisfactory gas shielding was achieved but for certain service conditions,
dark blue may be acceptable. Light blue, grey and white show a higher, usually unacceptable, level of
oxygen contamination as described in Table 2.
 Table 2: Assessment of weld surface contamination level
Probable Effect On
Weld Surface Appearance Recommended Actions
Mechanical Properties
Bright silver None Accept
Light straw Not measureable
Brown/purple Very slight Remove by emery, brush
etc then check hardness
Blue Slight except for possible Check hardness, remove
Second order colours hard surface layer surface layers if
Mother of pearl necessary, then re-weld
Dull leaden grey Moderate to very severe. Remove weld and effected
Flaky white oxide Welds will be hard and weld area
Fluffy yellow oxide brittle

For small components, an efficient gas shield can be achieved by welding in a totally enclosed chamber,
filled with the inert shielding gas. It is recommended that before welding, the arc is struck on a separate
piece of titanium to remove oxygen from the atmosphere; the oxygen level should be reduced to
approximately 40ppm before striking the arc on the scrap titanium and < 20ppm before welding the actual
component. In tube welding, a fully enclosed head is equally effective in shielding the weld area and is be
preferable to orbital welding equipment in which the gas nozzle must be rotated around the tube. When
welding out in the open, the torch should be fitted fitted with a trailing shield to protect the hot weld bead
whilst cooling. The size and shape of the shield is determined by the joint profile whilst its length is
influenced by welding current and travel speed. It is essential in 'open air' welding that the underside of
the joint is protected from oxidation. For straight runs, a grooved backing bar can be used with argon gas
being fed into the groove. In tube and pipe welding, normal gas purging techniques are appropriate.
Checks can be carried out on how effective the gas shielding is using a purge monitor, which measures
the amount of oxygen that may be present in the gas purge. It is normal for the torch diameter to be as
large as possible to obtain the maximum effect of gas shielding. In addition, a diffuser should be fitted
inside the gas nozzle to ensure a laminar gas flow is achieved.

Figure 1: Typical trailing gas shields for avoidance of weld metal oxidation

3.3 Contamination Cracking

If iron particles are present on the component surface, they dissolve in the weld metal reducing
corrosion resistance and, at a sufficiently high iron content, cause embrittlement. Iron particles are
equally detrimental in the HAZ where local melting of the particles form pockets of titanium - iron
eutectic. Microcracking may occur but it is more likely that the iron-rich pockets will become
preferential sites for corrosion. Particular attention should be paid to separating titanium from steel
fabrications, preferably by designating a dedicated clean area. Embedding of steel particles into the
surface of the material can be minimised by:
• Avoiding steel fabrication operations near titanium components;
• Covering components to avoid airborne dust and ferritic particles settling on the surface;
 • Not using tools, including wire brushes, previously used for steel;
• Scratch brushing the joint area immediately before welding;
• Not handling the cleaned component with dirty gloves.

To avoid corrosion cracking, and minimise the risk of embrittlement through iron contamination, it is best
practice to fabricate titanium in a specially dedicated clean condition area. For welding to medical grade
standards, checks can be made to determine whether ferritic contamination is likely to occur.

3.3 Test for Ferritic Contamination on Titanium Surfaces

3.3.1 Ferroxyl Test

The test solution is made up by dissolving 7 g of potassium ferricyanide and 4.5 ml of nitric acid (65%
concentration) in 214 ml of distilled water. The solution deteriorates in a few days, becoming cloudy and
should therefore be used shortly after it is made up. The test may be carried out in two ways:

a). Soak a filter paper in the solution and apply to the surface under examination, ensuring a good
contact over the whole surface. The presence of iron is revealed by a blue colouration almost
immediately after application of the paper in those areas which contain ferrite contamination.

b). Swab or spray the surface to be tested using the solution. Ferrite contamination is again exposed
by blue discolouration. It may be helpful to increase the viscosity of the solution by the addition of
an iron-free gelatine or similar agent, providing the gelatine or similar agent does not interfere with
the sensitivity of the test.

3.3.2 Phenanthroline test

a). Dissolve 272 g of hydrated sodium acetate in about 500 ml of hot distilled water, add 240 ml of
glacial acetic acid and dilute to 1litre with distilled water.

b). Dissolve 3.5 g of hydroxylamine hydrochloride in 350 ml of distilled water.

c). Dissolve 2.5 g of 1:10 phenanthroline monohydrate in about 200 ml of hot distilled water and dilute
to 300 ml.

d). Mix solutions (1), (2), and (3) together to make 1650 ml. The mixed solution is reasonably stable
provided that it is kept in a stoppered bottle. It will have a shelf life of about two to three months.

The procedure for application is the same as (1) for the ferroxyl test, i.e. the filter paper soaked in the
solution is laid over the surface to be tested. Again ensuring good contact between the paper and the
metal surface. Ferrite contamination is shown by an orange colouration in the contaminated region.

Note: Because the phenanthroline solution is more stable, it is more convenient than the ferroxyl test
where only a limited amount of testing is to be done. After the test, the reagent should be removed from
the titanium surface by washing followed by rinsing in an appropriate solvent.

WARNING
The chemicals referenced above may pose a health hazard and should therefore be handled by trained
and competent personnel using appropriate personal protection equipment. Job Safety Analysis should
be used when mixing and applying the chemicals. Similarly any waste should be disposed of by an
authorised and handled by trained and competent personnel using appropriate personal protection
equipment.