ASTM F1295 Ti-6Al-7Nb Titanium Bar
- Standard: ASTM F1295 (or contract-specified edition)
- Grade: Ti-6Al-7Nb
- UNS: R56700
- Supply form: Round, flat or other bar shapes
- Condition: Annealed, cold-worked or hot-worked
- Dia: φ7 ~ φ300 mm
- Typical Medical Bar Length: 2000–3000 mm; cut-to-length available
Customizable sizes are available, while specific product parameters should be confirmed per the applicable standard edition and order.
Product Overview
ASTM F1295-24 titanium bar is wrought Ti-6Al-7Nb alpha-beta alloy bar for surgical implant manufacture, UNS R56700. Aluminum stabilizes alpha and niobium stabilizes beta. Replacing vanadium with niobium retains high specific strength, good corrosion resistance and established processing behavior while providing a titanium-aluminum-niobium alloy system suited to long-term medical applications.
ASTM F1295 covers bar, wire, sheet, strip and plate in annealed, cold-worked or hot-worked conditions. Bar is normally round, flat or another shape from 4.76 to 102 mm (0.188 to 4.0 in) in diameter or thickness; special sizes may be ordered. It is widely used as machining stock for joint replacement, trauma, spinal, dental and other implant devices. The finished device still requires design, fatigue, biological, cleaning, sterilization and regulatory validation.
| Specification | Details |
| Medical Standard | ASTM F1295 |
| Medical Grades | Ti-6Al-7Nb |
| Diameter Range | Ø7 – Ø300 mm |
| Typical Diameters | Ø7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120, 150, 200 mm |
| Typical Medical Bar Length | 2000–3000 mm; cut-to-length available |
| Surface / Supply Condition | Hot-rolled black surface / Turned / Ground |
| Precision Tolerance | h6 / h7 / h8 available subject to diameter, finishing process and order confirmation |
Medical-use boundary: ASTM F1295-compliant bar is medical-device raw material, not an approved finished implant. The device manufacturer remains responsible for design, machining, fatigue, surface treatment, cleaning, sterilization, biological evaluation, risk management and regulatory compliance.
Main Characteristics
- Vanadium-free medical alpha-beta alloy: Approximately 7% Nb replaces V as the beta stabilizer. Mechanical and metallurgical behavior is similar to Ti-6Al-4V, while the surface oxide system includes stable TiO₂, Al₂O₃ and Nb₂O₅. Selection must still follow device design, regulation and clinical risk assessment.
- Controlled chemistry: Al is 5.50-6.50% and Nb is 6.50-7.50%, with limits on Ta, Fe, O, C, N, H and residuals. Hydrogen is sampled from finished product to control hydrogen pickup and embrittlement risk.
- Good biocompatibility: Ti-6Al-7Nb has a long history in devices contacting bone and soft tissue, and niobium oxide is stable and sparingly soluble. ASTM F1295 raw-material compliance does not approve a finished implant; applicable biological evaluation such as ISO 10993 remains required.
- Good corrosion resistance: A dense, renewable titanium/niobium-enriched passive film generally performs well in saline, body fluids and many chlorides. Fretting, wear, crevices, fluoride media, dissimilar metals and contamination still require device-level evaluation.
- Weldable with contamination control: Annealed material can be joined by qualified GTAW/TIG, laser, electron-beam or resistance processes. Fully shield the pool, root and hot heat-affected zone against O, N, H and C pickup and resulting ductility loss.
- High strength with controlled processability: Annealed and hot-worked conditions provide a stable strength/ductility baseline; cold work raises tensile strength. Bar can be forged, rolled, drawn, machined and cold formed to a limited degree. Processing resembles Ti-6Al-4V, with strict control of temperature, residual stress, alpha case and surface defects.
Chemical Composition
The following mass-percent limits apply to ASTM F1295 Ti-6Al-7Nb (UNS R56700). The current active edition is ASTM F1295-24. Formal purchasing and acceptance are governed by the contract edition, official ASTM text and original mill report:
| Element | ASTM F1295 Ti-6Al-7Nb requirement |
| Aluminum, Al | 5.50-6.50% |
| Niobium, Nb | 6.50-7.50% |
| Tantalum, Ta | ≤0.50% |
| Iron, Fe | ≤0.25% |
| Oxygen, O | ≤0.20% |
| Carbon, C | ≤0.08% |
| Nitrogen, N | ≤0.05% |
| Hydrogen, H | ≤0.009% |
| Residuals, each / total | ≤0.10% / ≤0.40% |
| Titanium, Ti | Balance |
Technical references: ASTM F1295-24 official edition information, publicly available ASTM F1295-11 technical tables, and producer data for TIMETAL 367 / ATI 6-7 Ti-6Al-7Nb.
- Aluminum and niobium: Al is 5.50-6.50% and Nb is 6.50-7.50%. Aluminum stabilizes alpha and niobium stabilizes beta. Homogeneity, beta transus and thermomechanical processing jointly determine the final alpha-beta microstructure and properties.
- Tantalum and interstitials: Ta≤0.50%, Fe≤0.25%, O≤0.20%, C≤0.08%, N≤0.05% and H≤0.009%. The stringent hydrogen limit requires control of hydrogen pickup during pickling, heat treatment, cleaning and storage.
- Residuals and titanium: Common requirements are ≤0.10% for each residual and ≤0.40% total, with titanium as balance. Heat-specific reports should cover every required element and remain traceable to product identification.
- Titanium content: The specification states Titanium: Balance. A nominal grade or medical-grade claim does not replace heat-specific analysis, the material report and contract testing.
Mechanical Properties
ASTM F1295 specifies room-temperature minima for bar and wire by delivery condition. Annealed and hot-worked material require ≥900 MPa ultimate tensile strength, ≥800 MPa 0.2% yield strength, ≥10% elongation and ≥25% reduction of area. Cold-worked material requires ≥1100 MPa ultimate tensile strength, with the other minima remaining ≥800 MPa, ≥10% and ≥25%. Alternative conditions may be agreed between purchaser and supplier.
| Condition | Minimum strength | Minimum ductility |
| Annealed | UTS ≥900 MPa; YS ≥800 MPa | Elongation ≥10%; RA ≥25% |
| Hot worked | UTS ≥900 MPa; YS ≥800 MPa | Elongation ≥10%; RA ≥25% |
| Cold worked | UTS ≥1100 MPa; YS ≥800 MPa | Elongation ≥10%; RA ≥25% |
| Other condition | Written purchaser-supplier agreement | Also define specimen and gauge length |
ASTM F1295 Ti-6Al-7Nb Bar Minimum Mechanical Properties
| Property | Ti-6Al-7Nb reference |
| Ultimate tensile strength | ASTM min: annealed/hot worked 900 MPa; cold worked 1100 MPa |
| 0.2% yield strength | ASTM minimum: 800 MPa |
| Elongation | ASTM minimum: 10% |
| Reduction of area | ASTM minimum: 25% |
Important: These are condition-specific standard minima for bar and wire. For material ≥1.6 mm diameter/thickness, elongation is normally measured using a 50 mm, 4D or 4W gauge length and the gauge length is reported; the method below 1.6 mm may be negotiated. Formal acceptance uses the contract edition, required specimen and original mill report.
HTN Supply and Quality Documentation
HTN organizes ASTM F1295-24 Ti-6Al-7Nb medical titanium alloy bar supply to customer purchase requirements. Material is produced by qualified titanium-mill resources. Original mill reports, heat traceability, chemistry, mechanical properties, microstructure, beta-transus and ultrasonic records can be supplied as agreed. HTN reviews the standard edition, bar size/shape, tolerance, delivery condition, stress relief, surface, straightness, ultrasonic class and packaging, and can arrange independent retesting, cut-to-length processing, clean packaging and third-party inspection.
Typical Applications
- machining stock for femoral stems, joint-replacement connectors and other load-bearing implant components;
- machining stock for trauma fixation plates, bone screws, intramedullary nails and spinal implants;
- dental implants, abutments, restorative components and precision connectors;
- cranio-maxillofacial fixation and other high-strength implants requiring a vanadium-free alpha-beta titanium alloy;
- medical-device components requiring a ≥900 MPa strength baseline, good corrosion resistance and biological suitability;
- precision round, ground and near-net-size bar made to customer drawings;
- medical-device research, prototypes and custom implant material;
- international projects when ISO 5832-11, regulatory and customer supplementary requirements are also met.
Application boundary: ASTM F1295 Ti-6Al-7Nb bar is raw material for surgical implant manufacture, not an approved finished implant. The final device must separately meet applicable regulations, design validation, fatigue evaluation, biological evaluation, cleaning, sterilization and traceability requirements.
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Fabrication and Machining Characteristics
Hot Processing, Finishing and Dimensional Control
Ti-6Al-7Nb bar is commonly produced by qualified multiple melting, ingot breakdown, alpha-beta forging or rolling, annealing/stress relief, straightening, and turning, peeling or centerless grinding. The normal bar range is 4.76-102 mm in diameter or thickness. Define size, tolerance, roughness, straightness and machining allowance in the order. Machine with rigid setups, sharp tools, low speed, steady feed and abundant non-chlorinated coolant.
Cold working and forming
Material may be cold drawn or formed to a limited degree; cold work raises strength, residual stress and springback. Warm or hot forming reduces resistance. For cold-worked or hot-worked supply, define mechanical properties, stress relief and downstream processing requirements rather than applying annealed data.
Annealing and heat treatment
ASTM F1295 permits annealed, cold-worked or hot-worked conditions, and the purchaser specifies whether stress relief is required. Control temperature, soak, cooling and vacuum/inert atmosphere to avoid an unqualified beta-transus excursion, grain coarsening, continuous grain-boundary alpha, coarse elongated alpha platelets, alpha case, oxidation and hydrogen pickup. A producer reference anneal is approximately 700-730°C for about 1 h followed by air cooling; the mill-qualified process governs.
Welding and joining
Qualified GTAW/TIG, laser, electron-beam, resistance or diffusion joining may be used. Clean thoroughly, use compatible filler where applicable and fully shield hot metal. Device welds require validation of microstructure, strength, fatigue, corrosion resistance and cleanliness.
Typical Physical Properties
The following are typical values for Ti-6Al-7Nb near room temperature. Unless explicitly required by the standard or contract, they are not routine ASTM F1295 lot-acceptance values:
| Physical property | reference value |
| Density | Approx. 4.52 g/cm³ |
| Elastic modulus, annealed | Approx. 105-120 GPa |
| Beta transus | Approx. 1010-1015°C |
| Melting range | Approx. 1538-1649°C |
| Crystal structure at room temperature | Alpha + beta |
| Magnetism | Essentially non-magnetic |
| Typical annealed hardness | Approx. HRC 30-34 |
| Strengthening | Solid solution, microstructure control and cold work |
| Corrosion mechanism | TiO₂ / Nb₂O₅-enriched passive film |
| Note | Typical; not a routine lot-acceptance value |
Physical-property reference: Producer data for TIMETAL 367 and ATI 6-7 / UNS R56700. Values vary with temperature, microstructure, orientation, cold work and heat treatment.
Corrosion Resistance
Ti-6Al-7Nb forms a passive film based mainly on TiO₂ with stable Nb₂O₅ and Al₂O₃ and generally resists saline, body fluids and many aqueous chlorides. Device performance still depends on roughness, inclusions or residue, fretting, wear, crevices, dissimilar metals, electrochemical conditions, fluoride exposure and cleaning or sterilization residue.
Environments in Which Ti-6Al-7Nb Generally Performs Well
- Saline and many simulated-body-fluid environments;
- humid air and high-purity water;
- neutral chloride solutions;
- many oxidizing environments;
- properly controlled cleaning and passivation processes;
- many medical-device sterilization processes after device validation;
- long-term tissue contact without fretting;
- validated orthopedic, spinal and dental implant environments.
Environments Requiring Careful Evaluation
- Fluoride cleaners, hydrofluoric acid or high-fluoride oral conditions;
- local acidification in oxygen-starved crevices;
- combined fretting, wear and corrosion;
- galvanic coupling with unsuitable dissimilar metals;
- cathodic hydrogen charging or improper electrochemical treatment;
- strong reducing acids;
- hot concentrated salts or unusual disinfection chemicals;
- areas containing particles, residues or surface damage;
- new uses lacking device-level corrosion and biological validation.
Engineering caution: Biocompatibility, fatigue and body-fluid corrosion performance are not determined by grade alone. Bar cleanliness, microstructure, roughness, residual stress, machining defects, micromotion, wear, crevices, dissimilar metals, fluoride exposure and sterilization residue can affect the final device.
Typical Industry Manufacturing Route for ASTM F1295 Ti-6Al-7Nb Titanium Bar
- Raw-material selection and charge preparation: Use qualified titanium raw material, aluminum and niobium alloying additions, and strictly controlled clean revert, closely controlling Al, Nb, Ta, Fe, O, C, N, H and residual elements.
- Electrode preparation: Homogenize, compact and weld consumable electrodes while avoiding high-density inclusions, low-density inclusions, oil, moisture and foreign contamination.
- Melting and ingot production: Use a qualified multiple-melting route suitable for reactive metals, controlling alloy homogeneity, high- and low-density inclusions and ingot quality. The melting method, number of melts and raw-material restrictions follow ASTM F1295-24 and the order.
- Ingot conditioning and breakdown: Crop unsuitable ends, remove surface defects, and forge or roll sufficiently to break down the cast structure.
- Hot processing to bar: Forge or roll in a controlled alpha-beta range or qualified window to obtain a fine dispersion of alpha and beta without continuous alpha at prior-beta grain boundaries or coarse elongated alpha platelets, while controlling temperature drop, reduction, dimensions and oxidation.
- Heat treatment and surface conditioning: Apply the ordered anneal or stress relief, followed by mechanical descaling, pickling, grinding, machining, peeling or polishing. Alpha case is not permitted on machined, ground or chemically milled surfaces; other surfaces must not show a continuous alpha-case layer at the specified magnification.
- Straightening and finishing: Turn, peel, centerless grind or polish to the ordered diameter, tolerance, straightness, roughness and machining allowance.
- Cleaning: Use validated mechanical or chemical cleaning to prevent oil, abrasive, iron, chlorinated-cleaner and pickling residue. Final implant cleaning remains the device manufacturer responsibility.
- Inspection: Verify chemistry, tensile properties, dimensions, surface, microstructure and identification by heat or lot; report beta transus when ordered. Finished thickness ≥6.35 mm normally requires ultrasonic inspection to AMS 2631 Class A1 under the specification; for smaller or non-inspectable finished product, inspect intermediate bar/billet/slab or follow purchaser-supplier agreement.
- Identification, packaging and traceability: Maintain one-to-one correspondence among heat, lot, bar and report and use clean protective packaging to prevent scratches, mix-ups and cross-contamination.
Manufacturing and inspection note: ASTM F1295 specifies chemistry, mechanical properties, microstructure, alpha case and ultrasonic inspection. Define bar size/shape, tolerance, condition, stress relief, surface, beta-transus reporting, ultrasonic class, machining allowance, clean packaging, EN 10204 3.1 documentation and third-party inspection in the purchase order.
