Ferrotitanium

Ferrotitanium sample with a titanium content of 70%

Depending on their mixing ratio, ferrotitanium or titanium-iron alloys consist of various intermetallic titanium - iron compounds in which excess iron and titanium can dissolve. In addition, depending on the alloy composition, there are also various iron crystal specifications and intermetallic iron-carbon compounds. In general, a mixed structure results from different crystals.

The ferrotitanium alloy has a eutectic point at a mixing ratio of about 80% iron and 20% titanium. At this point the iron-titanium alloy has a uniform melting point. Iron-titanium alloys are u. a. Used in shipbuilding, as an alloy base for stainless steel production and in submarine construction.

The structure of this titanium-iron alloy is characterized by a particularly high tensile strength of over 2 GPa. It comes about because two different intermetallic titanium-iron compounds are interlocked with one another in a finely branched eutectic microstructure.

A problem in production is the control of the crystal growth under different cooling conditions. As a result of a temperature gradient, a lamellar eutectic crystal growth can be observed, which causes correspondingly strongly anisotropic material properties. The aim is a general dendritic, finely toothed crystal structure of high strength.

The eutectic titanium-iron alloy is currently the subject of investigation in a large DFG joint project between RWTH Aachen University, the Max Planck Institute in Düsseldorf and the Leibniz Institute (Institute for Complex Materials) in Dresden.

Ferrotitanium

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