ASTM B863 Grade 23 Titanium Wire
- Standard: ASTM B863
- Grade: Grade 23 (Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium Alloy)
- UNS: R56407
- Supply form: Coil, spool or straight cut length
- Condition: Annealed or cold-worked, as ordered
- Diameter Range: Ø0.03–Ø7.0 mm
Customizable sizes are available, while specific product parameters should be confirmed per the applicable standard edition and order.
Product Overview
ASTM B863 Grade 23 titanium wire is high-strength alpha-beta Ti-6Al-4V ELI wire with UNS designation R56407. ELI means Extra Low Interstitial; tighter control of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and iron supports improved ductility, fracture toughness and low-temperature behavior while retaining high specific strength.
Grade 23 shares the nominal Al-V alloy system with Grade 5, but chemistry limits and property requirements are not interchangeable. Wire properties depend on diameter, cold reduction, annealed condition, microstructure, surface quality and test conditions. ASTM B863 Grade 23 wire does not automatically comply with ASTM F136, ISO 5832-3, AMS, aerospace or welding-consumable specifications.
| Standard | ASTM B863 |
| Grade | Grade 23 (Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium Alloy) |
| UNS | R56407 |
| Supply form | Coil, spool or straight cut length |
| Condition | Annealed or cold-worked, as ordered |
| Diameter Range | Ø0.03–Ø7.0 mm |
Main Characteristics
- High specific strength: Density is about 4.42 g/cm³ and a representative annealed tensile strength is about 828 MPa, useful for weight-sensitive precision wire parts.
- Tighter interstitial control: Compared with Grade 5, lower limits for oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and iron support ductility, fracture toughness, fatigue behavior and low-temperature reliability.
- Good general corrosion resistance: The passive oxide film performs well in seawater, humid atmosphere and many neutral chlorides; strong reducing acids, fluoride media and hot tight crevices require specific evaluation.
- Weldable with strict shielding: Qualified inert-gas fusion, resistance or laser welding may be used; the pool, root and hot heat-affected zone must be protected from oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon contamination.
- Properties adjustable by heat treatment and cold work: Annealed, stress-relieved and agreed solution-treated-and-aged conditions differ in strength and ductility; plate, bar or medical-specification data are not automatic wire guarantees.
- Suitable for critical uses only with added controls: Aerospace, medical and fatigue-critical parts commonly require additional melt practice, microstructure, NDT, surface, cleanliness and quality-system requirements.
Chemical Composition
The following limits apply to ASTM B863 Grade 23. Values are mass percentages. Formal acceptance is governed by the contract edition and producer certified report.
| Element | ASTM B863 Grade 23 requirement |
| Aluminum, Al | 5.5-6.5% |
| Vanadium, V | 3.5-4.5% |
| Nitrogen, N | ≤0.03% |
| Carbon, C | ≤0.08% |
| Hydrogen, H | ≤0.0125% |
| Iron, Fe | ≤0.25% |
| Oxygen, O | ≤0.13% |
| Residual elements, each | ≤0.10% |
| Residual elements, total | ≤0.40% |
| Titanium, Ti | Balance |
Technical references: ASTM B863 grade scope and TIMETAL 6-4 ELI technical data.
- Aluminum and vanadium: Al stabilizes alpha and contributes strength; V stabilizes beta and provides heat-treatment response. Acceptance follows 5.5-6.5% Al and 3.5-4.5% V.
- Interstitial elements: Grade 23 limits O, N and H to support toughness and ductility. ELI does not mean interstitial-free, and producer typical values do not replace ASTM maxima.
- Iron and residuals: These affect microstructure, strength and lot consistency and must be checked against the standard and material report.
- Titanium content: ASTM states Titanium: Balance. A fixed titanium percentage calculated from nominal chemistry is not an untested product guarantee.
Mechanical Properties
ASTM B863 includes applicable tensile, elongation and hardness requirements for Grade 23 wire. Properties vary with diameter and condition. Formal acceptance must follow the purchase order, applicable size range, test method and official standard tables.
| Property | Product-page technical statement | Acceptance basis |
| Tensile strength | Depends on diameter and annealed/cold-worked condition | Applicable ASTM B863 table and purchase order |
| Elongation | Depends on diameter, gauge length and condition | Applicable ASTM B863 table and purchase order |
| Hardness | The specification includes applicable requirements; one value cannot cover every condition | Applicable grade, condition and test method |
| Yield strength | Minimum values defined for annealed condition（Rp0.2≥725 MPa）; cold‑worked values vary with cold reduction & wire diameter, no universal fixed value | Specify condition, diameter and acceptance requirements in purchase order if yield strength is required |
Annealed Grade 23 Reference Properties (TIMETAL 6‑4 ELI reference data, NOT ASTM B863‑26 wire guaranteed acceptance values)
| Property | TIMETAL 6-4 ELI annealed reference |
| Ultimate tensile strength | Reference approx. 828 MPa |
| 0.2% yield strength | Reference approx. 759 MPa |
| Elongation | Reference approx. 10% |
| Reduction of area | Bar reference approx. 25%; not a wire guarantee |
Important: These are representative annealed Ti-6Al-4V ELI data, not universal ASTM B863 wire acceptance values. Diameter, cold reduction, final heat treatment and specimen conditions affect properties. Quotations, contracts and MTRs must identify all delivery requirements.
HTN Supply and Quality Documentation
HTN organizes ASTM B863 Grade 23 Ti-6Al-4V ELI wire supply to customer purchase requirements. Material is produced by qualified titanium-mill resources. Original mill reports, heat traceability, full chemistry and property records can be supplied as agreed. HTN reviews the edition, melt route, heat number, diameter, tolerance, condition, surface and packaging, and can arrange independent retesting, cutting, clean packaging and third-party inspection.
Typical Applications
- High-strength lock wire, locating wire and precision parts for aerospace assemblies;
- specially validated wire parts for low-temperature, fatigue- or fracture-critical service;
- medical-device and surgical-implant parts only when ASTM F136, ISO 5832-3, customer drawings and regulatory requirements are separately met;
- high-performance fasteners, springs, clips and lightweight connectors;
- high-strength corrosion-resistant wire parts for marine, chemical and energy equipment;
- precision parts requiring drawing, coiling, weaving, bending or flattening;
- welding filler wire only when AWS A5.16 ERTi-23 requirements are met;
- special assemblies made to customer drawings and validated by fatigue, forming, corrosion or functional testing.
Application boundary: ASTM B863 Grade 23 wire is not automatically implant-grade material, aerospace-qualified material or welding filler. Those uses separately require ASTM F136, ISO 5832-3, AMS, AWS A5.16, customer drawings and quality-system requirements.
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Fabrication and Machining Characteristics
Drawing and Dimensional Control
Grade 23 has high strength, low thermal conductivity and a tendency to work harden. Drawing requires rigid equipment, clean tooling, suitable lubrication and controlled reduction, with intermediate annealing used to manage dimensions, surface damage, microstructure and residual stress.
Cold working
Cold work increases strength and hardness but reduces ductility and affects later coiling or bending. Final reduction, diameter and heat treatment must match forming, fatigue and surface-integrity requirements.
Annealing and heat treatment
Annealing restores ductility and stabilizes alpha-beta microstructure; stress relief lowers residual stress. Solution treatment and aging can further strengthen the alloy, but qualified time, temperature and cooling procedures are required.
Welding and joining
GTAW/TIG, laser welding, resistance welding or another qualified method may be used with complete inert-gas shielding. Filler wire must separately satisfy the applicable ERTi-23 classification under AWS A5.16, cleanliness, dimensions and procedure qualification.
Typical Physical Properties
The following are representative Ti-6Al-4V ELI values near room temperature and are not mandatory lot-acceptance requirements of ASTM B863 .
| Physical property | Typical value |
| Density | Approx. 4.42 g/cm³ |
| Elastic modulus at room temperature | Approx. 107-122 GPa |
| Shear modulus at room temperature | Approx. 41-45 GPa |
| Thermal conductivity at 20°C | Approx. 6.6 W/(m·K) |
| Electrical resistivity at 0°C | Approx. 1.68 μΩ·m |
| Mean CTE, 0-100°C | Approx. 9.0×10⁻⁶/K |
| Specific heat at 20°C | Approx. 0.580 kJ/(kg·K) |
| Poisson’s ratio | Typically approx. 0.31 |
| Beta transus | Approx. 996±14°C; varies with chemistry and microstructure |
| Magnetism | Essentially non-magnetic |
Physical-property reference: TIMETAL 6-4/6-4 ELI technical data. Values vary with heat, temperature, microstructure, orientation, cold work and heat-treatment condition.
Corrosion Resistance
Grade 23 obtains good general corrosion resistance from a stable titanium-oxide passive film and behaves broadly like Grade 5. The ELI designation primarily improves interstitial control, toughness and ductility; it does not make Grade 23 universally more corrosion resistant than palladium- or ruthenium-bearing grades.
Environments in Which Grade 23 Generally Performs Well
- Seawater, salt spray and humid air;
- neutral chloride and brine solutions;
- many oxidizing acid environments;
- nitric acid and some oxidizer-containing process streams;
- many organic acids and organic compounds;
- alkaline media;
- wet chlorine and hydrated halogen environments;
- many food, pharmaceutical and high-purity-water systems.
Environments Requiring Careful Evaluation
- Strong reducing acids under oxygen-starved conditions;
- hot concentrated hydrochloric or sulfuric acid;
- fluoride-containing media or hydrofluoric acid;
- tight crevices in hot concentrated chlorides;
- anhydrous methanol or halide-contaminated methanol;
- red fuming nitric acid;
- molten chloride salts;
- cathodic-protection or electrochemical conditions promoting hydrogen absorption;
- dissimilar-metal contact with unsuitable galvanic design.
Engineering caution: ELI chiefly denotes lower interstitials; it does not mean universally better corrosion resistance than Grade 5. Fine wire and mesh may be affected by crevices, deposits, contacting metals and cleaning residues. Fluoride, strong reducing, hot chloride and hydrogen-charging conditions require evaluation.
Typical Industry Manufacturing Route for Grade 23 Titanium Wire
- Raw-material selection and charge preparation: Select high-purity titanium sponge, aluminum-vanadium master alloy and strictly controlled clean revert, with close control of O, N, H, Fe and residuals.
- Electrode preparation: Homogenize, compact and weld a consumable electrode while avoiding Al-V segregation and contamination from iron particles, oil and moisture.
- Vacuum melting and ingot production: VAR or another qualified vacuum route is commonly used. ASTM B863 does not prescribe the same melt count for every Grade 23 wire; double or triple VAR for medical or aerospace orders must be specified.
- Ingot conditioning and breakdown: Crop unsuitable ends, remove surface defects, and forge or roll to break down the cast structure and make billet or rod for wire processing.
- Hot processing to wire rod: Forge and hot roll in a controlled alpha-beta range, managing grain size, microstructure, oxidation, alpha case and surface quality.
- Surface conditioning and multi-pass drawing: Remove scale and alpha case, condition laps or cracks, and draw through successive dies with intermediate anneals based on accumulated reduction.
- Intermediate and final heat treatment: Apply a qualified anneal, stress relief or agreed condition, controlling time, temperature, atmosphere and cooling.
- Surface finishing: Use pickling, mechanical cleaning, polishing or another approved method while controlling hydrogen pickup, iron contamination, notches and residues.
- Straightening, coiling and cutting: Supply on coils or spools, or as straight cut lengths, and inspect diameter, roundness, straightness, coil quality and surface condition.
- Inspection and traceability: Verify chemistry, tensile properties, elongation, hardness, dimensions and surface quality; critical uses may add microstructure, NDT and tighter traceability.
Melting and inspection note: ASTM B863 does not prescribe the same VAR count for every Grade 23 wire. Double/triple VAR, microstructure, tight roundness, special surface, cleanliness, NDT, EN 10204 3.1 documentation and third-party inspection must be confirmed in the purchase order.
