Polishing and Deburring Titanium

This blog gives an overview of everything you need to know when polishing and deburring AM titanium. It not only details the challenges that titanium might give you, but it gives an overview of the very best products and solutions and safety considerations you need to consider when working with this material.

In additive manufacturing (AM), titanium—chemical symbol Ti, atomic number 22—is widely used for producing high-strength, lightweight components across aerospace, medical, and industrial applications. During AM processes such as laser powder bed fusion, titanium begins as fine metallic powder rather than solid billet. These titanium dust particles have unique properties: they are lightweight, offer an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, and provide excellent corrosion resistance even in harsh environments.

However, titanium powder also presents specific handling and post-processing challenges, including reactivity, explosion risk, and dust exposure hazards, which must be managed carefully to protect both operators and equipment while maintaining part quality.

Titanium is a versatile metal with exceptional properties, making it valuable in various industries. Some of the key industries that commonly work with titanium include:

Titanium is widely used in the aerospace industry for aircraft components due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and ability to withstand high temperatures. Applications include airframes, engine components, landing gear, and fasteners.

Titanium’s biocompatibility and resistance to corrosion make it suitable for medical applications. It is commonly used in the production of medical implants such as dental implants, joint replacements, bone plates, and surgical instruments.

Titanium’s resistance to corrosion makes it valuable in chemical processing industries. It is used in the construction of chemical reactors, heat exchangers, and various components exposed to corrosive chemicals.

Titanium is employed in the oil and gas industry for equipment exposed to harsh environments, such as offshore platforms. It is used in components like valves, tubing, and heat exchangers.

While not as widespread as in aerospace or medical industries, titanium is used in some high-performance and luxury automotive applications. Its lightweight and strength properties can contribute to improved fuel efficiency and performance.

Titanium finds applications in power generation industries, particularly in the construction of components for gas turbine engines, where its ability to withstand high temperatures is crucial.

Due to its corrosion resistance, titanium is used in marine applications, including shipbuilding, offshore structures, and components exposed to seawater.

Titanium’s lightweight and durable characteristics make it suitable for sporting goods, such as bicycle frames, golf clubs, and other equipment where a high strength-to-weight ratio is desirable.

Titanium is used in the defence industry for various applications, including armour plating, aircraft components, and missile parts, due to its strength and ability to withstand extreme conditions.

Titanium can be more challenging to polish and deburr compared to some other metals due to its unique characteristics. Here are some factors to consider:

Titanium is known for its high hardness. While this contributes to its strength and durability, it can make the material more difficult to polish. Abrasives with appropriate hardness and grit may be required to effectively polish titanium surfaces.

Titanium has a strong affinity for oxygen, forming a protective oxide layer on its surface. This oxide layer can make it resistant to abrasion. Removing or working through this oxide layer may be necessary for effective polishing.

Titanium can react with certain chemicals, and the choice of polishing agents needs to be carefully considered. Acid-based solutions are sometimes used to remove the oxide layer before polishing. However, care must be taken to ensure that the chemical treatment does not negatively affect the material.

The tools and techniques used for polishing titanium should be chosen carefully. High-quality abrasives, polishing compounds, and equipment designed for metals with high hardness may be necessary. Additionally, the polishing process may need to be more controlled and precise compared to softer metals.

Deburring titanium can also present challenges due to its hardness. Specialized deburring tools and techniques may be required to remove burrs effectively without causing damage to the material.

Titanium can work harden during machining and forming processes, making the material even more resistant to abrasion. This work-hardened layer may need to be addressed during the polishing and deburring processes.

Unlike solid titanium billet, which is relatively stable under normal conditions, additive manufactured titanium introduces a significant combustion hazard due to the fine, reactive dust particles generated during 3D printing and post-processing.

These titanium powders have an extremely high surface area-to-volume ratio and a low minimum ignition energy (MIE). Even minor friction, static discharge, or a single spark during post-processing can ignite airborne titanium particles. Once ignited, the reaction is highly exothermic, burns at extremely high temperatures, and is notoriously difficult to extinguish.

In additive manufacturing, this means that tasks such as support removal, polishing, or blasting can present serious fire or explosion risks if dust extraction, grounding, and ATEX-compliant safety systems are not in place. Unlike solid titanium components, which require extreme heat to combust, titanium dust particles can ignite under much lower energy conditions—making them one of the most hazardous materials to handle in AM environments.

This is why specialised solutions such as the ENESKApostprocess system are essential. Along with enclosed work areas, multi-stage ATEX-rated filtration, moisture separators, and explosion protection, the ENESKApostprocess system is equipped with the FSK automatic fine dust measuring system. This advanced sensor technology continuously monitors dust particle concentration inside the chamber, automatically triggering extraction and after-cleaning cycles reaching 99.995% air purity (more pure than the air we breath) before the workstation can be opened—ensuring the highest level of operator safety and regulatory compliance.