Titanium, thanks to its lightness, strength, and corrosion resistance, is one of the most demanded metals in industry. Titanium alloys withstand water and aggressive liquids and are actively used in aviation, shipbuilding, and automotive engineering. Researchers at VolgSTU developed a technology to raise strength and durability of titanium-based materials:
“For surface hardening we used electromechanical treatment consisting of exposing the material to high-density electric current (from 200 A/mm² to 1000 A/mm²) at low voltage (1.5–2 V) passed through a local contact zone (about 1.5–2 mm²) between the tool and the specimen surface,” reports Igor Zakharov, head of the Strength of Materials department at VolgSTU.
Thus the service life of hardened products increases 1.5–2 times, and strength rises 30–40%. According to the specialist, introducing the developed technology into industry will expand use of titanium alloys in assemblies operating under intense friction, wear, and repeated alternating loads — for example in aviation, rocket-and-space, and military equipment, and medical products.
