Titanium is increasingly sought after in AM for its high strength to weight ratio, biological inertness, and other desirable properties. Revenues for titanium powders used in additive manufacturing to reach more than $330 million, corresponding to 730,500 Kgs of titanium. Titanium is becoming the highest revenue generating opportunity in additive manufacturing (AM) metals, both because of its rapid growth and its relatively high average price.

AM titanium will continue to be used where premium performance is required. In the short term, the supply chain for AM titanium powder will continue to be controlled by smaller specialty providers –but larger global metal firms are now beginning to jump in. These firms have historically sold to metal AM system vendors, however today several very large users of metal AM in aerospace and medical are ordering in volumes large enough to sustain smaller powder providers. The vast majority of titanium powder used in current additive manufacturing systems falls into two types—Ti6Al4V (Ti64) and commercially pure titanium (CPT). Increased use of specialty titanium alloys is expected to vary depending on adopting industry. Titanium is being explored for smaller structures in aircraft engines such as brackets and housings, but may expand into much larger structural components to drive demand. By 2020, aerospace will be consuming almost 155,000 Kgs of titanium. Most available specialty Titanium alloys today have been developed primarily with aerospace in mind.

Titanium also has good prospects in medical markets due to bio-inertness, and ‘as manufactured’ bone in growth performance. It also is capable of outperforming heavier alloys with its strength to weight ratio. Current production of titanium orthopedic implants using AM is growing rapidly across the board, with new products in spine, hip, knee, and other orthopedic areas. Medical applications of AM titanium will account for around 274,000 Kg of Titanium in 2020 thanks to this growth.

Titanium is becoming one of three premiere metal group opportunities for additive manufacturing systems of numerous types, sought after primarily for its high strength to weight ratio, biological inertness, and other desirable properties when combined with additive layer manufacturing.
`
The primary opportunity factors related to the broader supply chain, primary providers of AM titanium powder and other forms, and analysis of the print technologies and powder production processes all combine to help business development and strategy professionals determine how to focus their efforts in titanium powder, parts, and print technologies.