Titanium Grade 1 responds exceptionally well to a variety of finishing processes due to its purity, ductility, and corrosion resistance. The right surface finish enhances durability, improves appearance, and prepares the metal for demanding applications in aerospace, medical, chemical, and marine sectors.
As Machined Finish
An As Machined finish is the standard surface produced directly from CNC machining. It shows fine tool paths with Ra values typically between 1.6–3.2 μm depending on feed rate and tooling. Titanium Grade 1 machines more smoothly than harder titanium grades because of its lower strength, resulting in clean, uniform machining lines. XC Machining ensures consistent toolpaths, minimal chatter, and burr-free edges for high-precision “as machined” surfaces.
Polishing and Mirror Finishing
Polishing creates a smooth, reflective surface that enhances the metal’s appearance while improving fatigue resistance. Titanium Grade 1 is highly formable and polishes well to a satin or near-mirror finish. This makes it ideal for medical tools, consumer products, and decorative components. XC Machining uses multi-stage mechanical polishing and buffing to remove machining marks and achieve precise cosmetic quality.
Sandblasting / Bead Blasting for Matte Texture
Bead blasting produces a clean, uniform matte surface by gently peening the titanium surface with fine media. This finish is excellent for reducing glare, improving grip, and preparing the titanium for coatings or anodizing. Grade 1’s softness compared to other titanium grades allows consistent matte textures with low risk of surface damage. XC Machining uses controlled blasting pressures to achieve a smooth, even appearance.
Passivation for Enhanced Corrosion Resistance
Passivation enhances titanium’s already exceptional corrosion resistance by removing contaminants and strengthening its natural oxide layer. While titanium is inherently corrosion-proof, passivation ensures maximum cleanliness and surface integrity, particularly for medical, chemical, and aerospace applications. XC Machining uses certified passivation processes compliant with ASTM and medical-grade standards.
Anodizing (Decorative / Protective Titanium Anodizing)
Titanium anodizing creates brilliant interference colors, blues, purples, golds, and greens, without using dyes. It also increases wear resistance and improves surface hygiene for sensitive applications. Grade 1’s high purity makes it one of the best titanium grades for uniform anodized colors. XC Machining provides both decorative anodizing for consumer products and protective anodizing for medical and industrial components.
Where Is Titanium Grade 1 Used in Industry?
Titanium Grade 1 is valued across major industries for its corrosion resistance, ductility, biocompatibility, and ability to maintain performance in extreme environments.
Aerospace Components and Aircraft Structures
In aerospace, Titanium Grade 1 is used for ducting, ventilation systems, low-pressure structural parts, and components that require corrosion resistance without extremely high strength. Its excellent toughness at low temperatures makes it suitable for cryogenic applications in aircraft and space technologies. XC Machining supports aerospace clients with precision-machined titanium parts that meet strict performance and dimensional standards.
Marine Hardware and Saltwater Systems
Titanium Grade 1 offers outstanding resistance to seawater corrosion, outperforming stainless steels and aluminum alloys in marine environments. It is commonly used for ship components, underwater housings, propeller shafts, heat exchanger plates, and desalination equipment. XC Machining produces marine-grade titanium parts with surface finishes optimized for long-term exposure to saltwater.
Chemical Processing Equipment & Pressure Vessels
Chemical plants rely on Titanium Grade 1 for piping systems, reactor vessels, chlorate production equipment, and heat exchangers due to its resistance to chlorides, oxidizing acids, and harsh industrial chemicals. Its formability makes it easier to fabricate pressure-bearing components. XC Machining delivers machined parts and assemblies compatible with industrial chemical processing conditions.
Medical Instruments and Biocompatible Devices
Titanium Grade 1 is fully biocompatible, non-toxic, and resistant to body fluids, making it ideal for surgical instruments, orthopedic tools, dental equipment, and implantable components. Its ability to be sterilized repeatedly without degradation ensures long-term medical reliability. XC Machining provides precision medical machining with strict ISO-compliant quality control.
Heat Exchangers, Condensers, and Cryogenic Systems
Titanium Grade 1 maintains excellent mechanical properties in extremely low temperatures, making it suitable for cryogenic storage tanks, processing lines, and refrigeration systems. It is also widely used in industrial heat exchangers due to its thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance. XC Machining supplies machined titanium components tailored for thermal-critical engineering environments.
Industrial Filters, Plates, and Sheet-Form Components
Because Grade 1 titanium is the most formable titanium grade, it is commonly used for plates, sheets, filter mesh frames, and thin-wall components. These parts require ductility during fabrication but still benefit from titanium’s corrosion performance. XC Machining machines titanium sheets and plates to extremely tight tolerances for industrial and environmental systems.