Titanium Pipe Couplings: The Superhero Matchmakers of Piping Systems!

In the world of piping, titanium pipe couplings are like the ultimate connectors — sleek, strong, and corrosion-resistant! With their cool metallic shine and superhero properties (light as aluminum, strong as steel, corrosion-proof like gold), they're the VIPs of industrial fluid systems.

Today, we'll spotlight two titanium all-stars: Couplings and Unions. They sound similar but play very different roles. Let’s break it down!

🔧 Coupling: The Steadfast Soldier

• Looks like: A simple titanium sleeve with female threads (or socket weld) on both ends.

• Job: Joins two same-diameter pipes end-to-end in a permanent, no-fuss bond.

• Best for:
  ✅ Extending straight pipe runs (no disassembly needed).
  ✅ Cost-effective, space-saving fixed connections.
  ✅ Underground lines or low-maintenance zones.

• Motto: “Once connected, never disconnected!” 🔒
  
  

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🔧 Union: The Flexible Friend

• Looks like: A trio — two threaded ends + a center nut (designed for easy assembly).

• Job: Connect or disconnect pipes without rotating them. Just tighten/loosen the nut!

• Best for:
  ✅ Frequent maintenance spots (valves, pumps, instruments).
  ✅ Tight spaces where pipes can’t twist.
  ✅ Labs, pharma, food-grade systems (hygienic & reusable).

• Motto: “Easy in, easy out—no drama!” 🔒

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💡 Coupling vs. Union: Quick Showdown

Feature	Coupling	Union
Structure	Single piece	Three-piece (nut + two ends)
Connection	Permanent	Removable
Disassembly	Rotate entire pipe	Just unscrew the nut!
Cost	Lower	Higher (but saves labor cost)
Vibe	“Set it and forget it!”	“Flexibility for the win!”

🌟 Why Titanium? Pure Genius!

• Lightweight: 43% lighter than steel → Save weight in aircraft, ships, and mobile systems!

• Corrosion King: Laughs at seawater, acids, chlorine → Perfect for marine, chemical, and desalination plants.

• Strength+: Handles high pressure/temp (300°C+), ideal for aerospace and energy.

• Bio-Love: Non-toxic & biocompatible → Safe for medical implants, pharma, and food pipelines!

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💎 Pro Tips

• Pick Couplings for permanent, low-cost runs (e.g., long pipelines, structural frames).

• Choose Unions for service-friendly systems (e.g., around valves, instruments, or tight spaces).

• Grade Matters: Use Gr2 (CP Titanium) for corrosion resistance; Gr5 (Ti-6Al-4V) for high strength!

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Pipe wisely, connect perfectly!
With titanium couplings and unions, your system stays agile, tough, and leak-free. 🚀

Your Titanium Guru ✨
Need specs (ASTM B338/B862)? Or a custom comparison table? Just shout! 

Eyes Of The Deep Sea: Titanium Camera

Undersea cameras are indispensable "eyes" for scientists, engineers and explorers in exploring deep, high-pressure and highly corrosive marine environments. The key barrier to protect these precision optical and electronic equipment from being destroyed by harsh environments is their pressure-resistant shells.

Why Choose Titanium Camera

 

titaniumalloy@bjmkgs.com

                                                                              

Under the same pressure, titanium alloy shells can be made thinner and lighter than stainless steel shells;

Titanium alloys do not require additional anti-corrosion coatings, and can keep the shell intact even after being immersed in seawater for a long time;

Excellent anti-aging performance can ensure that the shell can withstand pressure fluctuations during repeated diving and buoyancy without fatigue failure;

Non-magnetism can avoid interference from the shell's own colored rope magnetic field, affecting the accuracy of measurement data;

Good biocompatibility is not conducive to the attachment of marine organisms, reducing the damage to the optical window and keeping the image clear.

CONTROL THE QUALITY 

 

The selection of titanium camera shell is not simply a matter of material selection. It requires comprehensive consideration of application depth, material selection, structural design and manufacturing process to ensure the safe, reliable and effective operation of the equipment in deep-sea environment:

Application Depth

Clearly define the maximum working depth (such as 3000m, 6000m, 11000m) and its corresponding hydrostatic pressure.

Material Selection

Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5) is the most commonly used and mature deep-sea titanium alloy. For higher toughness Ti-6Al-4V ELI (Grade 23) can be selected.

Structural Design

Optimize the structure and reasonably design reinforcement ribs (if necessary)

Manufacturing Process Of Titanium Camera Housings

The Professional Factory Mainly Focus On Titanium Materials, Have Supporting Machineshop And Welding Workshops

The titanium alloy camera housing is the primary condition for protecting the normal operation of the entire electrical components on the seabed, so rigorous and high-quality manufacturing processes are particularly important in the entire process.

 

In Baoji Mingkun Nonferrous Metals Co., Ltd., we control the quality of materials from various aspects such as material selection, forming, welding, and heat treatment. So as to provide the best housing to our customers.

Forming

Precision machining, forging, spinning (applicable to spherical housings).

Welding

Welding processes: TIG, EBW, Laser; Welders must be certified; Welds must be 100% NDT.

Heat treatment

Stress relief annealing is usually required to eliminate residual stress from processing and welding.

Surface treatment

The inner and outer surfaces must undergo high-precision polishing treatment to remove the optical window installation surface. 

From exploring the last frontier of the earth to ensuring the safety of key underwater facilities, titanium camera shells are indispensable core components of deep-sea "visual" systems.

 

When selecting titanium alloy shells, a complete system involving working depth, material certification, structural design, precision manufacturing, strict sealing, comprehensive pressure testing and maintenance specifications must be strictly followed.

 

Only in this way can we ensure that these precious "eyes of the deep sea" can clearly, stably and persistently transmit valuable image information to us in the dark and high-pressure world.

Why Choose Titanium Customized Subsea Connectors?

Titanium customized connectors are specialized components made of titanium and titanium alloys that are used to connect electrical, mechanical or structural systems. Titanium is famous for its high strength, corrosion resistance and lightweight properties, which makes these connectors suitable for industries such as aerospace, medical, automotive and electronics.

The Types of Titanium Connector

Each connector type takes advantage of titanium's inherent properties-strength, light weight, and corrosion resistance-which make them essential in environments such as subsea exploration where durability and reliability are critical.

  

Titanium Connectors in Subsea

Parts made of titanium are widely used in subsea equipment due to their excellent corrosion resistance, especially in highly corrosive and high-pressure underwater seawater environments.

• Subsea oil and gas exploration
  Titanium custoom connectors are essential in subsea pipelines, wellheads and control systems to ensure secure connections and withstand the pressure and corrosion of seawater for a long time.
  
  
• Marine Renewable Energy
  In offshore wind farms or tidal energy facilities, titanium parts are used to connect subsea cables, turbines and other marine infrastructure due to their excellent resistance to biofouling and seawater corrosion.
  
  
• Subsea Communications
  For deep-sea communication systems, titanium components can be used to ensure reliable data transmission and maintain integrity under extreme pressure and environmental conditions in the deep sea.
  
  
• Subsea Robotics
  Titanium components prare essential in subsea robots and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to connect power and data cables and ensure operational reliability for long-term underwater missions.

Connection Methods

In BJMK, the main connection methods of titanium connectors are threaded, welded, and flanged.

Threaded Connection

Method: Threaded titanium products are often used in applications that require a strong mechanical connection. They use male and female threads to screw together to ensure a tight fit.

Application: Subsea pipelines, wellheads, control systems

Welded Connection

Method: Welding involves melting the edges of titanium parts and joining them together. Titanium custom connectors can be welded to ensure the highest strength and corrosion resistance.
Application: Oil and gas pipelines, deep-sea facilities, aerospace.

Clamp and Flange Connection

Method: Larger titanium parts usually use clamps or flanges. The flanges are bolted together, use gaskets to ensure a tight, leak-proof seal.
Application: Marine renewable energy systems, subsea oil drilling platforms, industrial piping systems.

We have supporting workshops: Welding workshop & Machine shop, can support us to provide various titanium customized products according to different designs and requirements. Our skilled workers with rich experience in machining & welding titanium & titanium alloy parts, if you are interested in any kinds of titanium products please feel free to contact us (titaniumalloy@bjmkgs.com), send your inquiry to us!The Types Of Ti-Connectors

The Types Of Ti-Connectors

What’s Titanium Metals?

                                                                              Author: Sally Yuan (titaniumalloy@bjmkgs.com)

Today, we will talk about Titanium Metals. Titanium and Its Alloys.

Metal, all we know,  is a solid material that is typically hard, shiny, malleable, fusible, and ductile, with good electrical and thermal conductivity (e.g., titanium, iron, gold, silver, copper, and aluminum, and alloys such as brass and steel).

Titanium Metals, also a solid materials. but Titanium metals with with very very lots of advantages compare than common metals, like Iron, Aluminum, Brass and Steels, of course, except expensive!

1. Let’s see the brief of physical properties of titanium first

• Titanium metals has similar strength as steel, but with a weight nearly half of steel.
• Highly react with oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and hydrogen.
• Difficult to extract —- expensive.
• Used mainly in wrought forms for advanced applications where cost is not critical.
• High strength and toughness.

2. After we know its advantages, then let see Applications of titanium metals.

• Used mainly in aerospace, marine, chemical, biomedical applications and sports.
  like, Turbine blades, National science centre, Hip-joint component, Shape memory alloy,  Motorcycle and so on.

3. About Production of titanium alloys

Would you like to know how to produce titanium alloys?

No, you don’t need to know, you just need to remember me, then send email (titaniumalloy@bjmkgs.com) to me if you need this materials. we can provide everything you want.

But the key steps you can see below:

Extraction processes — Melting processes — Casting process — Forming processes — Heat treatments

Ok, above are all we need talking about this article. for next blog, we will talk about the classification of Titanium.

TIG Weld - Filler Wire & Without Filler Wire

After four samples and many many communications. Finally our client accept our sample, for below fasteners with three bolts welded on the plate

It seems simple but the client has high quality on welding portion, especially the welding angle, depth, the roundness of welding seams, even the welding bellow shapes. we were all solved. 

And after resolved all above questions there new problem happened, it was the welding current, we are difference. our welding current is 50A-150A, but the client insist their welding current is 200A-230A. that's really a big difference. and the client starts to worried about our welding strength. 

But our engineers insist that based on our welding method, the materials would be damaged in 200A current. Everything was deadlocked and stopped.

In order to improve our welding strength no problem, we made a test, use one of bolts to hang up a 2 tons titanium ingot. and success. it proved that this parts with three bolts can hang up 6 tons at least. then the result is our welding strength is no problem.

We also test the samples that client provided, all no problem.

But why the big difference welding current but all the welding are OK?

Accidentally, the client took a welding process pictures to me, and we found that it seems no weld wire (fillet wire) during welding. then, all the questions were answered.  

The client weld method is self- fusible, but our method was use filler wire. self-fusible weld asked high current and high temperature, but filler wire weld only 50-150 is enough. 

At the beginning, we were all think that we used the same weld method and ignored it. and after this experiences, we should recognize that we cannot ignore every small details during communication. and should also more on the other side of the position to consider the issue.

Maybe I should prepare an article about two different welding method for TIG Welding. 

Finally, showed the video of that interesting test of welding strength.

TITANIUM ASTM Grade 29 (R56404)

Grade 29 -- Titanium alloy (6% aluminum, 4% vanadium with extra low interstitial elements, ELI) plus 0.08% to 0.14% ruthenium.

Grade 29 titanium is a titanium alloy formulated for primary forming into wrought products. R56404 is the UNS number for this material. Additionally, the ASTM designation is Titanium Grade 29.

It has a moderately high heat capacity among wrought titanium. In addition, it has a moderately low melting temperature and a moderately high embodied energy.

Titanium  Grade 29 Mechanical Properties

Grade 29 Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus

Grade 29 Elongation at Break

Grade 29 Fatigue Strength

Grade 29 Poisson's Ratio

Grade 29 Reduction in Area

Grade 29 Shear Modulus

Grade 29 Shear Strength

Grade 29 Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)

Grade 29 Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)

Titanium Grade 29 Thermal Properties 

Grade 29 Melting Onset (Solidus)

Grade 29 Specific Heat Capacity

Grade 29 Thermal Conductivity

Grade 29 Thermal Expansion

Ti-6AL-4V alloy is the most widely used titanium alloy of the alloy of the alpha-lus-beta class, and is also the most common of all titanium alloys. This modification incorporates extra low interstitials (ELI) and also has a ruthenium addition to enhance the corosion properties. The wrought material is used in applications where moderate strength, good strength to weight, and favorable corrosion properties are required. The alloy is available as wire, sheet, bar, plate, forgings, billet and rings.

Based on this material, the product form including:

1. Sheet, Streip, and Plate (ASTM B265);  
2. Bar and Billet, Annealed (ASTM B348);  
3. Seamless and Welded Fittings (ASTM B363);  
4. Forgings (ASTM B381);  
5. Seamless Pipe (ASTM B861);  
6. Welded Pipe (ASTM B862);  
7. Wire (ASTM B863);  
8. Weld Wire (AWS A5.16 ERTi-29).

Grade 29 Chemistry Composition

N           C           H           Fe           O           Al             V            Ru                Ti

0.03     0.08      0.015      0.25        0.13    5.5-6.75   3.5-4.5    0.08-0.14     Balance

More detailed information can reference ASTM standards.

The application of Titanium in Sodium Hypochlorite

The Application of Titanium in Sodium Hypochlorite

1.    Introduction of Sodium Hypochlorite

Sodium Hypochlorite (or bleach) is a key component in thousands of production and disinfection processes in a variety of industries. It can be used to disinfect drinking water, prevent the growth of algae and shellfish, control odors in water and wastewater treatment plants, and much more.

2.    Materials of Construction

2.1  Storage Tank

Many different types of materials are used for sodium hypochlorite. and the main product use titanium is storage tanks.

Titanium storage tanks are the best choice of material for sodium hypochlorite. . The grade typically used is commercially pure grade 2. Although, the cost of titanium storage tanks is expensive much more than carbon steel or other materials, but titanium tanks can used for there is a very unusual requirement for virtually unlimited service life with no failures allowable.

Titanium Storage Tanks

 For example, Some tanks may only last 3-5 years, others if properly specified and maintained could last 10-15 years. The only material known for over 30 years service life is titanium.

Normally, titanium tanks are used for process tanks to handle special applications such as pressure reactors or small process tanks if time for repairs can not be tolerated.

2.2  Titanium Fittings for Sodium Hypochlorite.

Flanged fittings with titanium bolting should be used if the tank does not have an integrally molded in, full drain fitting for larger tanks.

Titanium bulkhead fittings can also be used but they tend to not be as reliable as a flanged fitting although this is probably arguable as well.

Titanium Fittings for Sodium Hypochlorite

Although PVC fittings are less expensive, but titanium fittings basically last forever. So many installations utilize titanium 150# flat faced backing flange with titanium bolts welded in the flange.

2.3   Other metals in Sodium Hypochlorite

For metals in contact with sodium hypochlorite, the majority of construction for all process equipment is titanium.

Tantalum is used for electrodes in magnetic flow meters and diaphragm seals.

Silver and Platinum is used for electrodes used to measure oxidation-reduction potential.

There should be no other metal in contact with sodium hypochlorite.

2.4   Titanium Pumps

The choice of pumps for sodium hypochlorite depending on the application can be separated into centrifugal and positive displacement such as diaphragm or peristaltic. In all applications, the only metal acceptable is titanium.

Titanium Pumps

One of the best pumps for sodium hypochlorite is a titanium centrifugal pump.

2.5   Titanium Pipe

Lightweight schedule 5 and 10 titanium pipe can be used for very long runs for sodium hypochlorite. These are welded systems with carefully designed expansion joints.

Titanium Welded Pipes

In some larger piping systems, titanium can be a cost effective method of piping compared to a lined pipe system and better performance can be achieved since most flanged joints are avoided. These piping systems are typically only used in sodium hypochlorite manufacturing facilities because of their high cost.

2.6   Instrumentation

The most important item concerning instrumentation is that only titanium, tantalum components be used for contact with the sodium hypochlorite. For PH, ORP and magnetic meter electrodes, silver, platinum, gold, tantalum or titanium are the only materials acceptable if a metal is required.

Titanium Flow Meters

3.    Common Titanium Product Type

3.1  Titanium Plate & Sheets for Storage Tanks, Pressure Vessels, Reactors

3.2  Titanium Pipes for Hypochlorite Pipe

3.3  Titanium Fittings, Flanges for welded systems in Sodium Hypochorite

3.4  Titanium Chlorite Interface, Chlorite Connectors

3.5  Titanium Bolts, Nuts, Washers and so on…

All above is the application of Titanium materials in Sodium Hypochlorite Industrial. If you have any question or needed please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss more!