Stainless Shapes supplies titanium 6Al-4V to engineers, fabricators, and procurement teams who need the highest-strength titanium alloy available in stock form.

Titanium grade 5, better known as 6Al-4V titanium, is the most widely used titanium alloy in the world, and for good reason. It combines high strength, low weight, and excellent corrosion resistance in a single material, making it the default choice across aerospace, medical, marine, and industrial applications.

If you’ve had trouble finding titanium 6Al-4V bar or plate in the size and condition your project requires, that’s exactly the kind of hard-to-find request we specialize in solving.

Titanium 6Al-4V, also known as Ti-6Al-4V, titanium grade 5, TC4, or Ti64, is an alpha-beta titanium alloy composed of approximately 90 percent titanium, 6 percent aluminum, and 4 percent vanadium. It’s designated UNS R56400 and carries the ASTM Grade 5 classification.

This grade accounts for roughly half of all titanium used worldwide, earning it the nickname “the workhorse” of titanium alloys. Aluminum acts as the alpha phase stabilizer and vanadium as the beta phase stabilizer, giving the alloy its characteristic two-phase microstructure and the strength advantage that sets it apart from commercially pure titanium grades.

Key characteristics of titanium 6Al-4V include:

• High strength-to-weight ratio. Ti-6Al-4V offers ultimate tensile strength in the range of 1,170 MPa and yield strength around 1,100 MPa in its solution-treated and aged condition, all while weighing significantly less than comparable steel alloys.
• Heat-treatable for higher strength. Unlike titanium 3Al-2.5V, this alloy responds well to solution heat treatment and aging (STA), which increases its strength beyond the annealed condition, typically in sections up to a few inches thick.
• Good weldability. Titanium 6Al-4V welds well using inert gas-shielded processes and can be used in welded construction for service temperatures up to roughly 600°F.
• Excellent corrosion resistance. The alloy forms a protective oxide layer that resists most environments, including seawater and marine atmospheres, though it’s more vulnerable to hydrofluoric acid and certain reducing acids.
• Broad service temperature range. In the annealed condition, titanium 6Al-4V performs well from cryogenic temperatures up to around 750°F to 800°F, giving it flexibility across a wide range of applications.

Machining titanium 6Al-4V follows practices similar to austenitic stainless steels like 304 and 316: slow speeds, heavy feeds, rigid tooling, and non-chlorinated cutting fluid. If you’re used to machining stainless steel, the transition to this alloy is manageable with the right setup. It’s one of several grades available through our titanium alloys inventory, alongside Grade 2 and Grade 9.

Stainless Shapes stocks titanium 6Al-4V in the forms most commonly specified for aerospace, medical, and industrial projects:

• Titanium 6Al-4V bar is available in round and other configurations, ideal for machined components, fasteners, and structural parts. Because this grade is heat-treatable, bar stock can be supplied in annealed or solution-treated and aged condition depending on the strength your application requires.
• Titanium 6Al-4V plate is stocked for structural applications, tooling, and any project requiring flat stock in larger cross-sections. Plate in this grade is commonly used for airframe components, pressure vessels, and other applications where strength and section thickness both matter.

Across both forms, we work with you to confirm the exact size, condition, and certifications your project requires before material ships. If you need a hard-to-find size or a specific heat treat condition, our sales team can help track it down.

Titanium 6Al-4V has been the backbone of aerospace titanium use for decades, and it remains the first material engineers reach for when a project demands strength without excess weight.

Best-in-class strength-to-weight ratio. Aircraft and spacecraft components need to be as light as possible without compromising structural integrity. Titanium 6Al-4V delivers strength comparable to many steel alloys at a fraction of the weight, making it a staple in airframe structures, fasteners, and engine components.

Performance across extreme temperatures. From cryogenic fuel systems to compressor blades operating at elevated temperatures, titanium 6Al-4V holds up across a temperature range few other materials can match, making it suitable for a wide variety of aerospace subsystems.

Proven use in critical components. This alloy has a long history in compressor blades, discs and rings for jet engines, airframe and space capsule components, pressure vessels, rocket engine cases, helicopter rotor hubs, and critical fasteners. That track record matters when a component absolutely cannot fail.

Heat treatable for application-specific strength. Because titanium 6Al-4V can be solution treated and aged, engineers can specify the exact strength level needed for a given part, rather than being locked into a single set of mechanical properties.

Reliable corrosion resistance. Aerospace components face a wide range of environmental exposure, from humidity and temperature swings to de-icing fluids and other chemicals. Titanium 6Al-4V’s corrosion resistance reduces the risk of degradation over the life of the component.

Because of these properties, any aerospace titanium alloy supplier worth working with should be able to source this grade reliably, in the forms and conditions your project specifies, backed by the certifications and documentation your quality team requires.

Selecting the right titanium alloy depends on matching material properties to your application. Here’s how titanium 6Al-4V compares to the other grades we supply:

Titanium 6Al-4V vs. titanium 3Al-2.5V. Titanium 3Al-2.5V offers better cold formability, which makes it the better choice for seamless tubing and cold-formed shapes. Titanium 6Al-4V trades some of that formability for significantly higher strength and heat treatability, making it the better choice when a part needs maximum strength rather than ease of forming.

Titanium 6Al-4V vs. commercially pure titanium (Grade 2). Grade 2 offers the best ductility and corrosion resistance among common titanium grades, but at meaningfully lower strength. Titanium 6Al-4V provides substantially higher strength for load-bearing and structural applications, though Grade 2 remains the better choice when maximum formability and corrosion resistance take priority over strength.

Titanium 6Al-4V vs. stainless steel grades. Compared to precipitation-hardening stainless steels like 17-4 PH or austenitic grades like 304 and 316, titanium 6Al-4V offers a major weight advantage while still matching or exceeding many stainless steel grades in strength. For weight-critical aerospace and industrial applications, that combination is difficult for stainless steel to beat, even though titanium generally carries a higher material cost.

Our sales team can help you weigh strength, weight, formability, and cost to identify the right titanium alloy, or the right stainless steel grade, for your specific project.

• Titanium 6Al-4V is an alpha-beta alloy made of about 90% titanium, 6% aluminum, and 4% vanadium, designated UNS R56400 and ASTM Grade 5.
• It’s the most widely used titanium alloy in the world, accounting for roughly half of all titanium usage, and is often called the “workhorse” of titanium alloys.
• Stainless Shapes stocks titanium 6Al-4V in bar and plate, and the alloy can be heat-treated through solution treatment and aging to reach higher strength levels.
• It has a long history in aerospace, used in jet engine components, airframe parts, pressure vessels, rocket engine cases, and critical fasteners.
• Titanium 6Al-4V offers higher strength than titanium 3Al-2.5V and Grade 2 titanium, and a significant weight advantage over stainless steel grades like 17-4 PH, 304, and 316.

When your project depends on maximum strength without sacrificing weight, don’t settle for a supplier who can’t track down the exact bar or plate size you need. Stainless Shapes supplies titanium 6Al-4V in bar and plate, backed by the sourcing expertise to find hard-to-find sizes and conditions.

Call Stainless Shapes at 800-748-9811 or request a quote online, and our team will help you find the exact titanium 6Al-4V stock your project requires.