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Alpha Case Removal Process

Q. Can you please explain about the process of Alpha removal process from titanium and its impacts?

Ravikumar Subramanian
Buyer - Chennai
June 30, 2010

A. Alpha case is in the metal, so you have to machine or chemically remove that metal. Alpha case can vary massively in depth, so how are you going to know if you got it all? Either destructive metallographic evaluation or blue etch anodize require a very highly qualified operator. Neither is for 99% of journeyman qualified people.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
July 1, 2010

Q. If alpha case depth is 437 microns, can we remove this layer by shot blasting?

GHORPADE KETAN VITTHAL
forge - Pune, Maharashtra, India
July 26, 2016

A. I believe that this is best done by immersion in a nitric/hydrofluoric acid bath. I looked into this a few years back on behalf of a client. Don't recall the details, though I do remember that having the proper ratio of the two acids is critical.

Dave Wichern
Consultant - The Bronx, New York
July 27, 2016

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