Grade 2 and Grade 5 are the two most widely used titanium grades, but they serve very different purposes. Choosing the wrong one means either paying for strength you don't need or under-speccing a load-bearing part.
Grade 2 — Commercially Pure Titanium
Grade 2 is unalloyed (commercially pure) titanium. It offers excellent corrosion resistance, good weldability and easy forming, with a typical tensile strength around 345 MPa.
- Best for corrosion service: chemical, marine, desalination, heat exchangers
- Excellent weldability and cold formability
- Lower cost than alloy grades
Grade 5 — Ti-6Al-4V
Grade 5 adds 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium. It is the aerospace workhorse alloy, with tensile strength around 895-1000 MPa — roughly twice that of Grade 2 — plus excellent fatigue performance.
- Best for structural and high-strength parts: aerospace, fasteners, shafts
- Heat treatable to higher strength
- Lower formability and weldability than Grade 2
Quick Comparison
- Strength: Grade 5 ≈ 2× Grade 2
- Corrosion: both excellent; Grade 2 slightly better in some reducing acids
- Formability/welding: Grade 2 wins
- Cost: Grade 2 lower
Which Should You Choose?
Pick Grade 2 when corrosion resistance and fabrication matter most. Pick Grade 5 when the part carries load or must be light and strong. For medical implants, consider Grade 23 (Ti-6Al-4V ELI), a higher-purity version of Grade 5.
