Titanium Grade 2 vs Grade 5 Sheet: Which One Does Your Job Need?

Quick answer

Choose Titanium Grade 2 (commercially pure, UNS R50400) when corrosion resistance, formability and easy welding matter most: seawater, chlorides, wet chlorine and exchanger plates. Choose Titanium Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V, UNS R56400) when you need roughly two and a half times the minimum strength for load-bearing parts and can accept harder forming and more careful welding. Both are covered by ASTM B265 / ASME SB265 for sheet, strip and plate.

Two grades, one specification

Grade 2 and Grade 5 are the two titanium grades engineers ask about most. Grade 2 is unalloyed titanium with controlled oxygen and iron. Grade 5 is an alpha-beta alloy with about 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium. Ganesh Metals, a stockist, supplier and processor in Mumbai since 1992, supplies both grades as sheet and plate to ASTM B265 / ASME SB265. See our Titanium Grade 2 page for Grade 2 detail and our titanium grades overview for Grade 5 and the other grades we supply.

Chemistry (ASTM B265, wt%, max unless a range is shown)

Element | Grade 2 (UNS R50400) | Grade 5 (UNS R56400)
Aluminium (Al) | — | 5.5–6.75
Vanadium (V) | — | 3.5–4.5
Iron (Fe) | 0.30 | 0.40
Oxygen (O) | 0.25 | 0.20
Carbon (C) | 0.08 | 0.08
Nitrogen (N) | 0.03 | 0.05
Hydrogen (H) | 0.015 | 0.015
Titanium (Ti) | Balance | Balance

The aluminium and vanadium in Grade 5 are what lift its strength. Grade 2 gets its moderate strength mainly from its oxygen and iron limits.

Mechanical properties (ASTM B265 minimums, annealed)

Property | Grade 2 | Grade 5
Tensile strength, min | 345 MPa | 895 MPa
Yield strength (0.2%), min | 275 MPa | 828 MPa
Elongation, min | 20% | 10%
Density, approx. | 4.51 g/cm³ | 4.43 g/cm³

Grade 5 has well over twice the minimum tensile and yield strength of Grade 2 at a slightly lower density. Grade 2 has twice the minimum elongation, which is why it bends and forms more easily. Your actual values are shown on the mill test certificate for your heat.

Corrosion resistance vs strength

Both grades form a stable protective oxide film. Grade 2 is the usual choice for corrosion service: it resists seawater, chloride solutions, wet chlorine, hypochlorite and many oxidising acids, and it does not suffer chloride stress-corrosion cracking in normal service. Grade 5 is also corrosion resistant in seawater and many chloride environments, but it is chosen mainly for strength. For a large exchanger, vessel lining or tube sheet, paying for Grade 5 strength usually adds nothing. For a highly loaded bracket, fastener blank or shaft, Grade 2 is often not strong enough.

Weldability and formability

Grade 2 sheet bends, presses and forms readily at room temperature and welds well with full inert-gas shielding on both sides of the joint. Without shielding the weld picks up oxygen and turns brittle.

Grade 5 is harder to form cold. Tight bends need larger radii, and severe forming is often done hot. It is weldable with the same strict shielding, but welds and heat-affected zones have lower ductility than Grade 2, so follow a qualified welding procedure. For both grades, keep titanium away from iron contamination and cut and grind it with dedicated tools.

When to choose each

Choose Grade 2 for:
- Plate heat-exchanger plates, tube sheets and condenser parts on seawater or brackish cooling water
- Chlor-alkali, wet-chlorine and hypochlorite equipment
- Vessel linings, covers and formed parts in chloride or oxidising media
- Desalination components and other parts that need deep forming or a lot of welding

Choose Grade 5 for:
- Load-bearing parts where weight saving and high strength matter more than formability
- Machined components, brackets, fixtures and fastener blanks
- Parts where the drawing or code already specifies Ti-6Al-4V / UNS R56400

If the drawing does not name a grade, tell us the medium, temperature and load, and we will help you confirm which grade suits.

Forms and sizes from Mumbai stock

We supply Titanium Grade 2 and Grade 5 as sheet, plate, bar, pipe, tube and flanges, with sizes confirmed for each enquiry. Sheet and plate are supplied to ASTM B265 / ASME SB265 and bar to ASTM B348, and both can be cut to size. Plate can also be cut into circles, discs and rings to your drawing. We deliver across India, including SEZ units. Chennai buyers can see our Titanium Grade 2 sheet page for Chennai. To estimate sheet or plate weight before you enquire, use our metal weight calculator.

Traceability: EN 10204 3.1 MTC

Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 5 sheet look the same once cut, so traceability matters. Every supply carries the mill's original EN 10204 3.1 mill test certificate. It shows the heat number, the ASTM/ASME specification and size, the chemical analysis and the mechanical test results. Each piece keeps its heat number and original mill markings, and the grade on every lot is checked against the MTC before dispatch. Ganesh Metals is certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018.

FAQs

Is Titanium Grade 5 stronger than Grade 2?
Yes. Under ASTM B265, Grade 5 has a minimum tensile strength of 895 MPa and a minimum yield of 828 MPa, against 345 MPa and 275 MPa for Grade 2. Grade 2 has the higher minimum elongation (20% vs 10%) and forms more easily.

Which is better for seawater, Grade 2 or Grade 5?
Both resist seawater. Grade 2 is the usual choice for seawater exchangers, tube sheets and linings because it is easier to form and weld and is the standard corrosion grade. Grade 5 is chosen when the part also has to carry high loads.

Which specification covers Grade 2 and Grade 5 sheet?
ASTM B265 / ASME SB265 covers both grades in sheet, strip and plate. Grade 2 is UNS R50400 and Grade 5 is UNS R56400. Every supply comes with an EN 10204 3.1 mill test certificate.

Need Titanium Grade 2 or Grade 5 sheet or plate? Send the grade, specification, thickness, cut sizes and quantity through our enquiry form, email sales@ganeshmetals.com or call +91 99872 73700. We confirm stock, mill origin and the MTC heat number for every enquiry.

Note: technical comparison for guidance only. Final grade selection rests with your design or corrosion engineer.