When you think about the strongest and most versatile metals used in various industries today, we almost always include steel and titanium. Both of these choices are great as they exhibit superior physical properties and chemical composition compared to other metals.

And while that remains true, these two metals and their alloys differ significantly regarding their key characteristics. In this article, we’ll discuss titanium vs surgical steel and what their main differences are.

Titanium vs Surgical Steel

Both of these metals feature different benefits, despite being used by the same industries. Still, there are major differences between the two, including price, availability, and applications. Here are some of the key differences between titanium and stainless steel:

Chemical Composition

Chemical composition is the first major difference between the two metals. Titanium is a naturally occurring metal that’s available in its pure form but also as an alloy containing aluminum and vanadium — which is, in fact, the most common titanium alloy you’ll find.

Surgical Steel, a type of stainless steel, on the other hand, isn’t naturally occurring; in fact, all steels are alloys of iron and carbon, with varying amounts of other chemical elements that would tweak the iron’s otherwise horrible mechanical properties. Due to the various amounts of trace elements in the iron-carbon combination, steel comes in a wide range of different physical properties.

Corrosion Resistance

Both titanium and surgical stainless steel are corrosion-resistant metals, which makes them perfect for several applications — the most notable of which is the biomedical application.

As previously stated, surgical steel is a metal alloy that comes in a wide variety and is suitable for different applications. Its corrosion resistance stems from chromium contact, which bonds with the oxygen from the atmosphere, thus preventing its bonding with the ferrite within the steel. This makes it perfect for medical use.

However, while considered hypoallergenic, not all surgical steels are considered implant-grade stainless steel due to the presence of nickel in the alloy. Nickel content enhances the properties of stainless steel in several ways, but it’s known to cause allergic reactions in some patients, which is why it’s not suitable for implant use or body jewelry, like body piercing jewelry, ear piercings, necklaces, etc.

Such applications would require the use of nickel-free, body-friendly stainless steel, like 316LVM surgical steel. Other surgical steels with somewhat higher nickel content that could trigger nickel allergy would be used to produce medical equipment, such as scalpels, various tubing, trays, needless, and various equipment that isn’t designed to permanently reside in the patient’s body.

Titanium, on the other hand, is the most biocompatible metal and doesn’t cause any metal allergies, which is why it’s widely used for medical and dental implant devices. It offers excellent corrosion resistance within chemically harsh environments like the human body and very good hard-tissue bonding compatibility.

Hardness and Elasticity

Steel is considerably harder compared to titanium. One of the reasons why titanium is so challenging to manufacture is its low Brinell number. Since titanium has a low material hardness, titanium alloys are frequently used in the industry to compensate for this.

When it comes to elasticity, steel often performs better than titanium in this area as well since the majority of its alloys are more elastic. Again, more flexibility makes the steel easier to machine and produce unique pieces, which is a crucial quality since it directly affects the processing cost.

Applications

Due to its lower processing costs, stainless steel is more widely used compared to titanium. Anything from industrial hardware, like pull-handle assemblies and leveling feet, to hygienic equipment and cutlery is made of stainless or surgical steel.

Titanium, on the other hand, offers an incredibly high strength-to-weight ratio, which is why it’s a preferred metal of choice in high-performance industries, such as the aerospace and automotive industry.

Summary

There’s no simple answer to which material is better — the best option will always depend on your project, the surrounding circumstances, and the available budget. If you want to learn more about surgical steel, visit Reid Supply, and refer to their Engineer Resource Guides or some of their guides on Surgical and Stainless steel.