ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview on relevant titanium alloys, their traditional marine applications, and seawater corrosion performance, while offering guidance on avoiding cathodic protection system hydrogen damage and achieving galvanic compatibility in seawater components and systems. The wide range of titanium alloys that are used traditionally are grouped into five categories as alpha, near-alpha, alpha beta, near-beta and beta titanium. Titanium’s thin, but hard and rehealable surface TiO2 film also explains why titanium and its alloys exhibit exceptional erosion-corrosion and cavitation resistance in seawater. Unlike many common seawater alloys, titanium alloys have demonstrated immunity to all forms of microbiologically influenced corrosion in all laboratory and natural service exposures. Successful, cost-effective use of titanium and its alloys is predicated on understanding its unique combination and range of mechanical, physical, and corrosion properties compared to classic marine engineering alloys to take full performance advantage in the design of components.
