Titanium-Zirconium-Molybdenum Alloy's Advantages

Molybdenum as a high temperature material has high melting point, good electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity, low coefficient of expansion, excellent thermal shock resistance and heat and high temperature resistance performance. But because molybdenum recrystallization temperature is low, brittle and room temperature strength low and other defects, so it's application is limited. The alloy can greatly improve the shortcomings of molybdenum, and thus developed a variety of molybdenum-based alloys, such as MHC, TZC, and TZM and so on. Of which the most widely used is titanium-zirconium-molybdenum alloy (TZM). Mainly because TZM overcome a series shortcomings of molybdenum, while retaining the good performance such as high-temperature heat resistance of molybdenum.

It has a higher recrystallization temperature, good corrosion resistance, good mechanical properties and good high-temperature strength and low strength and other advantages. According advantages of TZM it is widely used in various fields, such as TZM has good heat resistance, and it is often used to make nuclear energy parts and the spacecraft's heat radiating plate. While its shows a good mechanical properties in high temperature and pressure, so commonly used in the military industrial sector, such as rocket nozzles, gas pipelines and so on.

Titanium-Zirconium-Molybdenum Applications

Titanium zirconium molybdenum alloy (TZM) is most widely used in molybdenum-based alloys. Because of its unique properties make it has very broad application prospect, such as in the military fields and nuclear power parts manufacturing.

TZM has good mechanical properties at high temperature and pressure so widely used in military fields, such as the valve body of torpedo engine with, rocket nozzles, gas pipes and nozzles roar lining. According TZM good heat resistance, it is often used to heat part manufacture of nuclear energy, radiation exposure, cage, heat exchanger, and the spacecraft's heat panels and others. TZM can also be used to make black or non-ferrous metal die-casting mold materials and seamless stainless steel piercing point, such as copper rotor mold on the engine. It also was widely used as lumber, to make high-temperature furnace wall furnace and hot isostatic press heat shield and other high-temperature structural materials. In addition, titanium zirconium molybdenum alloys also wildly used in electrical and electronic industry, such as tube cathode, grid, high-voltage rectifier elements and integrated circuits and other semiconductor film.

Titanium-Zirconium-Molybdenum Oxygen Content

Oxygen content is an important parameter to measure the level of titanium-zirconium-molybdenum alloy (TZM) products and it is also an important indicator on products’ processing plastic and vacuum performance. But the specific request parameter to determine by the level of the industry average.
American Standard ASTM B387 mark 364 requires oxygen content of TZM not more than 0.030%. But Chinese products due to different sintering production methods lead to different levels of oxygen content which can divided intoⅠandⅡtwo kinds of levels. LevelⅠproduct ‘s oxygen content requirement not more than 0.030%, and the products are usually produce by  high-temperature vacuum sintering. Besides using this method the product processing plastic is better, and during vacuum there has small volume decentralized, suitable for forming a variety of high-temperature structural parts, electronic components and other functional parts. LevelⅡTZM oxygen content is usually at 0.030% to 0.080%, typically use hydrogen sintering protection to produce, but after processing its room temperature ductility low which is suitable for making a high-temperature structures on non-oxidizing atmosphere conditions.

Improving titanium-zirconium-molybdenum performance

Titanium zirconium molybdenum (TZM) has many good performances, and it is often used as high temperature structural components. However, it also has some drawbacks that it be limited in application. And improve the performance of titanium zirconium molybdenum methods have two which are to improve its oxidation resistance and the using neutron irradiation method.
Firstly, TZM oxidation resistance is not very good, it can not generate anti-oxidation layer to protect itself, and it will limit the range of applications and service life. Improve TZM antioxidant properties there are two main methods. The first is alloyed, which is adding trace elements in the alloy to improve oxidation resistance of the TZM, but this method of alloying at a high temperature oxidation is not strong resistance. The second method is coating surface technique in which coated a protective layer in the surface of the alloy. And the pack cementation method because it has a low cost, easy to control, substrate and coating adhesion is widely used.
On the other hand, after further research found that using neutron radiation method can change TZM ductile-brittle transition temperature and mechanical properties, thereby improving the performance of TZM.