Grinding Titanium

Leu Custom

Leu Custom

Joined
Jun 2, 2007
Messages
1,354
This has been probably asked a million times, but is there some special cartridge respirator I should be using while grinding titanium 6al4v ? the stuff seems to linger in the air compared to grinding A2 steel. Even wearing a p100 cartridge filter i seem to smell crap while grinding the titanium. Maybe it's also in my head, but it seems a little harder to breath even some light grinding? Is it the dust or the fumes ? Seems like I barely ground some yesterday for a minute or two and my head seems all stuffed up yesterday!! :confused:
 
Remember the fire hazard from Ti grinding dust .Don't let it build up .
 
MSDS Titanium Dioxide
(burned titanium)

http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/T3627.htm

A half-face dust/mist respirator may be worn for up to ten times the exposure limit or the maximum use concentration specified by the appropriate regulatory agency or respirator supplier, whichever is lowest.

A full-face piece dust/mist respirator may be worn up to 50 times the exposure limit, or the maximum use concentration specified by the appropriate regulatory agency, or respirator supplier, whichever is lowest.

MAY CAUSE IRRITATION TO SKIN, EYES, AND RESPIRATORY TRACT. MAY AFFECT LUNGS. SUSPECT CANCER HAZARD.

You may be sensitive to it...maybe your mask doesn't fit well?
 
it's odd because when i grind steel or kydex, i don't smell anything.

12345678910 said:
MSDS Titanium Dioxide
(burned titanium)

http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/T3627.htm

A half-face dust/mist respirator may be worn for up to ten times the exposure limit or the maximum use concentration specified by the appropriate regulatory agency or respirator supplier, whichever is lowest.

A full-face piece dust/mist respirator may be worn up to 50 times the exposure limit, or the maximum use concentration specified by the appropriate regulatory agency, or respirator supplier, whichever is lowest.

MAY CAUSE IRRITATION TO SKIN, EYES, AND RESPIRATORY TRACT. MAY AFFECT LUNGS. SUSPECT CANCER HAZARD.

You may be sensitive to it...maybe your mask doesn't fit well?
Click to expand...
 
I dont notice anything when grinding TI, I did have a small fire under my grinder. Dust had collected in a small space that had wood dust in it and some TI made it smolder. Make sure your work area and all the nooks and crannies are clean, where there is smoke there are smells.
 
i liek to grind slow and sharp belt at low grits (think power filing )
and its nice ot have a fan blowing air partly away from you
mask for sure (btw i smell bone even with a mask but not steel or wood )
 
The only time I smell titanium smelt when grinding is if the belt is burning the ti instead of cutting it away. To me the smell signals a time to change belts or put on the right one if its immediate with a new belt. In my experience aluminum oxide is not a good choice for titanium. Zircon or Ceramic belts work best and my favorites are the ceramic 30 and 50 grit mustard yellow 3M belts. I get a lot of life out of those and they really get after it.

STR
 
I was grinding it with an old Norton Norzon R821 40 grit belt. It still cuts and grinds no problem. So far I haven't really noticed it being that hard to work with other than it smells like well... :D and seems to clog up my nose and head real fast!

The first thing other makers told me was the fire hazard and UV light when grinding the stuff. Got a bucket right under the grinder!
 
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