An overview on the development of titanium alloys for non-aerospace application in Japan

The current market size for titanium alloys in Japan is about 550 metric tons a year, which is smaller when compared with western countries and Russia. Historically, titanium has been utilized in Japan for markets that require excellent resistance to severe corrosive environments, rather than for specific strength applications as utilized in the US, Russia and European countries. The recent recognition of titanium as a popular metal is promoting the development of new markets for titanium alloys. s paper, the newly developed non-aerospace markets in Japan are reviewed for both existing and newly developed alloys. The emerging applications for existing alloys are spreading into both consumer goods and sporting goods markets. The basic characteristics of newly developed alloys are summarized for the following four categories which are very active in Japan: (1) corrosion resistant alloys, (2) cold deformable alloys, (3) high strength alloys, and (4) advanced alloys.