Descaling and Cleaning Titanium and Titanium Alloy Surfaces

B600-11: Standard Guide for Descaling and Cleaning Titanium and Titanium Alloy Surfaces

Ensuring the integrity and performance of titanium and its alloys is paramount in critical engineering applications. Surface quality directly impacts corrosion resistance, weldability, and the overall reliability of components. ASTM B600-11 provides an essential, comprehensive framework for achieving optimal surface preparation, making it an industry-leading guide for professionals.

What is B600-11?

ASTM B600-11, "Standard Guide for Descaling and Cleaning Titanium and Titanium Alloy Surfaces," offers proven methods for removing shop soils, heat-treatment scales, and other surface contaminants. Developed by ASTM International, this authoritative standard serves as a critical resource for manufacturers, fabricators, and users of titanium products to ensure surfaces are prepared for downstream processes.

Scope & Purpose

This standard governs procedures for cleaning and descaling titanium and titanium alloy surfaces in various forms, including wrought, cast, and fabricated. Its primary purpose is to detail methods for removing residues that could compromise corrosion resistance, material stability, or fabrication quality, particularly before processes like chemical milling, joining, or plating. It explicitly does not mandate specific procedures but guides their selection and application, and it does not cover the removal of all possible contaminants or address safety concerns, which remain the user's responsibility.

Who Must Comply?

• • Primary audience: Materials Engineers, Metallurgists, Process Engineers, Manufacturing Technicians, and Quality Control Inspectors.
• • Industries affected: Aerospace, Medical Devices, Defense, Automotive, and General Manufacturing sectors where titanium's unique properties are leveraged.
• • Compliance nature: Voluntary, but highly recommended to meet industry best practices and ensure product quality.
• • Enforcement: Primarily driven by contractual requirements, internal quality management systems, and industry expectations for high-performance materials.

Key Requirements Overview

The standard outlines several key requirements for effective titanium surface preparation:

• • It mandates the removal of shop soils like grease and lubricants, recommending alkaline or emulsion cleaners.
• • It details mechanical descaling methods, such as blasting, emphasizing the need for thorough post-cleaning and specifying suitable abrasives to prevent contamination.
• • It provides guidance on chemical conditioning and pickling processes, including specific acid bath compositions and temperature ranges for removing oxides and scale.
• • Professionals must ensure that any embedded ferrous particles from blasting are removed, typically through subsequent acid pickling.
• • Key provisions include addressing the potential for alpha case (oxygen-contaminated layers) and recommending acid etching when necessary.

Related Standards & References

ASTM B600-11 often works in conjunction with other ASTM standards. For instance, standards related to the chemical composition and mechanical properties of titanium alloys (e.g., B265 for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Strip, Sheet, Plate, and Forgings) provide the baseline material specifications that this cleaning guide helps preserve. Additionally, standards detailing specific fabrication processes, such as welding or chemical milling, will often refer to surface preparation guidelines like B600-11.