Titanium Grades Gr1, Gr2, Gr5, Gr7, Gr12 Explained for Buyers

Published by Engineering Team, Shaanxi Qianyi Tuoda Technology Co., Ltd on 2026-10-21

Titanium Grades Gr1, Gr2, Gr5, Gr7, Gr12: What Buyers Actually Need to Know

When you request "titanium," the word alone is not a specification. The grade decides whether the material survives seawater, resists acid, carries structural load, or gets rejected at incoming inspection. This guide covers the five titanium grades most often bought by overseas procurement teams—Gr1, Gr2, Gr5 (TC4), Gr7, Gr12—in plain buyer language: chemistry, hardness, China/USA/Russia equivalents, standards, uses, and one sentence that tells you what each grade is really for.

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Quick Answer: Which Grade Do Most Buyers Want?

• Gr2 — default industrial pure titanium. Heat exchangers, tanks, piping.
• Gr1 — softer, more formable version of Gr2. Thin wall, deep drawing, forming.
• Gr5 / TC4 — high-strength alloy. Aerospace, machined parts, shafts, implants.
• Gr7 — Gr2 + palladium. Better resistance in aggressive acid/chloride service.
• Gr12 — Gr2 + molybdenum + nickel. Better crevice corrosion resistance and higher strength than CP titanium.

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1. Grade-by-Grade Summary

Grade	Type	China (GB)	USA (ASTM)	Russia (GOST)	One-line characteristic
Gr1	Commercially pure titanium	TA1	ASTM B265 / B338 / B348 Gr1	BT1-00	Softest, most formable, best corrosion resistance among CP grades.
Gr2	Commercially pure titanium	TA2	ASTM B265 / B338 / B348 Gr2	BT1-0	The workhorse pure titanium: balanced, weldable, cost-effective.
Gr5	Ti-6Al-4V alloy	TC4	ASTM B265 / B348 Gr5, AMS 4928	BT6 / ВТ6	High-strength aerospace-grade titanium, not for general corrosion-only jobs.
Gr7	Ti-0.2Pd	TA9	ASTM B265 / B338 Gr7	—	Gr2 with palladium: much better in reducing acid and chloride crevices.
Gr12	Ti-0.3Mo-0.8Ni	TA10	ASTM B265 / B338 Gr12	—	Stronger than Gr2, resists crevice corrosion in hot chloride/brine service.

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2. Chemical Composition (typical / ASTM limits)

Grade	Ti	Al	V	Pd	Mo	Ni	O (max)	Fe (max)
Gr1	Bal.	—	—	—	—	—	0.18%	0.20%
Gr2	Bal.	—	—	—	—	—	0.25%	0.30%
Gr5	Bal.	5.5–6.75%	3.5–4.5%	—	—	—	0.20%	0.40%
Gr7	Bal.	—	—	0.12–0.25%	—	—	0.25%	0.30%
Gr12	Bal.	—	—	—	0.2–0.4%	0.6–0.9%	0.25%	0.30%

Note: Gr1–Gr4 are commercially pure titanium. Gr5 is an alpha-beta alloy. Gr7 and Gr12 are corrosion-resistant CP-type alloys with small alloying additions.

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3. Hardness and Strength (buyer-relevant numbers)

Grade	Tensile strength (min)	Yield strength (min)	Elongation (min)	Hardness (approx.)
Gr1	240 MPa	170 MPa	24%	~100–120 HV
Gr2	345 MPa	275 MPa	20%	~150–180 HV
Gr5	895 MPa	828 MPa	10%	~320–360 HV
Gr7	345 MPa	275 MPa	20%	~150–180 HV
Gr12	483 MPa	345 MPa	18%	~200–230 HV

If you only remember one thing: Gr2 is the industrial default, Gr5 is roughly 2.5× stronger but harder to form and more expensive.

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4. China – USA – Russia Grade Cross Reference

USA (ASTM)	China (GB/T)	Russia (GOST)	Common name
Gr1	TA1	BT1-00	Low-oxygen pure titanium
Gr2	TA2	BT1-0	Commercial pure titanium
Gr3	TA3	BT1	Higher-strength CP titanium
Gr5	TC4	BT6 / ВТ6	Ti-6Al-4V
Gr7	TA9	—	Ti-0.2Pd
Gr12	TA10	—	Ti-0.3Mo-0.8Ni

When a Russian client sends BT1-0, quote Gr2. When a Chinese drawing says TC4, quote Gr5. When a spec says TA9, do not substitute Gr2 in aggressive acid service—use Gr7.

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5. Standards Buyers Should Put on the PO

• Plate/sheet/strip: ASTM B265 / ASME SB265
• Seamless tube: ASTM B338 / ASME SB338
• Welded tube: ASTM B862
• Rod/bar/billet: ASTM B348
• Forgings/flanges: ASTM B381
• Aerospace Gr5: AMS 4928
• China equivalents: GB/T 3621 (plate), GB/T 3624 (tube), GB/T 2965 (bar), GB/T 3620.1 (grades)

Always require MTC EN 10204 3.1. Grade name alone is not enough.

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6. Where Each Grade Is Actually Used

Gr1 — “I need formability and corrosion resistance”

• Thin-wall titanium pipe
• Heat exchanger fins and formed parts
• Chemical linings
• Deep-drawn components

Gr2 — “I need the standard industrial titanium”

• Shell-and-tube heat exchangers
• Seawater cooling piping
• Chemical storage tanks
• Condenser tubes
• Plate, tube, rod, fittings, flanges

Gr5 / TC4 — “I need strength, not just corrosion resistance”

• Aerospace brackets and structural parts
• CNC machined components
• Pump shafts and valve bodies
• Medical implants (ELI version: Gr23)
• High-stress fasteners

Gr7 — “Gr2 is not enough for my acid/chloride medium”

• Chlor-alkali plants
• Reducing acid service
• High-chloride crevice environments
• Chemical reactors with aggressive media

Gr12 — “I want more strength and crevice corrosion resistance than Gr2”

• Hot brine and desalination equipment
• Pressure vessels
• Chemical process equipment
• Evaporators and towers

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7. One Sentence per Grade (send this to your engineer)

Gr1: “Use me when you must form, bend or draw titanium and corrosion matters more than strength.”

Gr2: “If you do not know which grade to buy, start here.”

Gr5: “I am strong and light, but I am an alloy—do not specify me just because titanium sounds better.”

Gr7: “I am Gr2 for nasty acid and chloride service.”

Gr12: “I sit between Gr2 and the expensive alloys—better strength and crevice corrosion resistance without going full Hastelloy.”

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8. Buyer Pitfalls We See Every Week

1. Writing “Titanium Plate” with no grade → always state Gr1/Gr2/Gr5/Gr7/Gr12.
2. Using Gr2 in hot concentrated chloride with tight crevices → consider Gr7 or Gr12.
3. Specifying Gr5 for a heat exchanger shell → overpriced, harder to weld, often unnecessary.
4. Mixing TA2 / Gr2 / BT1-0 without confirming equivalence → they are close, but certification must match the project code.
5. Asking for “titanium” and forgetting MTC 3.1, standard and heat number.

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9. How to Request a Quote Without Wasting a Round-Trip Email

Use this format:

Product: Titanium Plate
Grade: Gr2 (TA2)
Spec: ASTM B265
Size: 6 mm x 1500 x 3000 mm
Qty: 8 pcs
Surface: pickled
Docs: MTC EN 10204 3.1
Destination: Antwerp

We confirm stock, cut plan and dispatch date within 8 working hours.

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Bottom Line for Procurement

• Gr1 / Gr2 = pure titanium, corrosion service, easy to weld and form
• Gr5 = structural alloy, high strength, aerospace/medical/machining
• Gr7 = acid/chloride upgrade of Gr2
• Gr12 = stronger CP-type grade with better crevice corrosion resistance

If your medium is seawater, dilute acid, chlor-alkali or brine, start with Gr2. If the part must carry load, start with Gr5. If the environment is aggressive and Gr2 fails, move to Gr7 or Gr12 before jumping to nickel alloys.

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Related: Titanium Plate Guide · Titanium Tube Guide · 9-Category Titanium & Nickel Overview