Construction can be solid titanium, titanium-clad steel or steel vessels with titanium linings. Lined vessels or equipment can consist of loose or mechanically fastened liners and may not be suitable for rapidly changing or low pressure conditions. Loose linings are generally positioned using gasketed flanges, whereas fastened liners frequently utilize titanium bolts to achieve liner attachments. This technique is often the most cost effective approach for new construction or for the retrofitting of vessels and ducting operating at low to moderate pressures and temperatures. Titanium-clad steel construction is favored at high pressures where very heavy walled vessels are required.
Titanium piping is available in seamless or seam-welded forms.
The seamless form tends to become more cost-effective as tube wall thicknesses increase and diameters decrease. Almost all common gasket materials are compatible with titanium, including virgin fluorocarbon materials such as Teflon. When environments can decompose fluorine or chlorine-containing gasket materials, selection of more compatible gasket materials is required. Titanium pipe or bolt threads should be coated with anti-seizing lubricants such as molydisulfide or graphite, or wrapped with Teflon tape. This can be a challenge, since proper inhibition of titanium in reducing acid media requires addition of oxidizing species, which may be harmful to steel or copper alloys.