Machining titanium and its alloys

Titanium and its alloys are attractive materials due to their unique high strength-weight ratio that is maintained at elevated temperatures and their exceptional corrosion resistance. The major application of titanium has been in the aerospace industry. However, the focus shift of market trends from military to commercial and aerospace to industry has also been reported. On the other hand, titanium and its alloys are notorious for their poor thermal properties and are classified as difficult-to-machine materials. These properties limit the use of these materials especially in the commercial markets where cost is much more of a factor than in aerospace. Machining is an important manufacturing process because it is almost always involved if precision is required and is the most cost effective process for small volume production. This paper reviews the machining of titanium and its alloys and proposes potential research issues.