This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will study the feasibility of an innovative new process for the production of hot rolled titanium alloy sheet. Hot rolled titanium alloy is currently manufactured using facilities designed to produce other materials, such as stainless steels. As a consequence, it is common for the production of hot rolled titanium alloy sheet to require several months of processing, with a material yield of less than one-half. In the proposed research, equipment specifically designed for the production of titanium sheet will be developed and implemented to streamline production. In conjunction with equipment improvements, cutting-edge processing technology and innovative ideas will be incorporated to yield the following benefits over traditional titanium alloy sheet production processes: 1) significant reduction in the number of manufacturing steps required; 2) improvement in the quality and mechanical properties; and 3) substantial reduction in the yield loss, production time, and final cost.
The commercial benefits of this new process will make hot rolled titanium alloy sheet more competitive with other metals on a cost basis. Ultimately, it is believed that the proposed process will lead to an increase in the market share and number of products that can economically incorporate titanium alloy sheet.
