Any Metal Specialists out there??

[kikifromcayman]

I have to admit i dont know much about metals. What i do know is that nowadays different manufacturers such as Atomic Aquatics claim that there Regs are made from Different and better Metals.

Brass seems to be the main metal, then you have Monel, Titanium, Zirconium, Chrome and Stainless steel.

Im going to read up on these different metals to see how they differ, so far all i know is that Titanium is light and strong, and corrosion resitant, Monel is a corrossion resistant alloy. ....Why is an Atomic T2 1st stage made from Monel and Titanium rather then just titanium, is it just to reduce costs or is monel more corrosion resistant?? Im guessing brass is just cheap and plentiful which is why its used so much?? Whats the difference between Chrome plating brass and stainless steel plating brass?

Well I just created this thread to see if anyone else is interested in different metal properties, Pro's and cons of each type etc etc.. enjoy lol

 

[Notso_Ken]

I have to admit i dont know much about metals. What i do know is that nowadays different manufacturers such as Atomic Aquatics claim that there Regs are made from Different and better Metals.

Brass seems to be the main metal, then you have Monel, Titanium, Zirconium, Chrome and Stainless steel.

Im going to read up on these different metals to see how they differ, so far all i know is that Titanium is light and strong, and corrosion resitant, Monel is a corrossion resistant alloy. ....Why is an Atomic T2 1st stage made from Monel and Titanium rather then just titanium, is it just to reduce costs or is monel more corrosion resistant?? Im guessing brass is just cheap and plentiful which is why its used so much?? Whats the difference between Chrome plating brass and stainless steel plating brass?

Well I just created this thread to see if anyone else is interested in different metal properties, Pro's and cons of each type etc etc.. enjoy lol

Yes, there are differences between the metals. However, the differences in them that affect how you and I use a product made out of them are VERY limited.

I think that practically speaking, the biggest differences you and I will see are marketing hype and cost. (and if a big enough item, weight, but I don't consider a regulator that big)


Ken

 

[fisherdvm]

I tend to disagree on just marketing hype. There are many grades of stainless steel, and these makes a big difference in corrosion resistance.

If you are just a fresh water diver, it don't think it matters that much.

But if you are a salt water diver, and don't take good care of your gears, and not rinse them out between dives. Or you are a diver that routinely run your tank dry. Or accidentally threw your gears in the rinse tank with the cap off the first stage..... Or your kid drowned your regulator in the bath tub.....

If a little of salt water get inside your gear, the metal type would make a big difference in safety if corrision is unoticed....

My own observation in cheap stainless steel, is that they have pits that rust and can corrode even if left in fresh water for 1 or 2 days. High quality stainless stell resist corrosion much better. But none can be left for more than 1 or 2 days in salt water.

My understanding is that titanium is much more resistance to corrosion - that's the reason why they are used for prosthetics. The body is constantly bathing these prosthesis in oxygen rich salt water and most are designed to last at least 10 to 15 years.

 

[fisherdvm]

Apparently marine grade stainless steel are high in molybdenum, and making them more suitable for marine environment.

Standard "marine grade" stainless steel, however, is still not the best. My guess is that the stainless steel in premium quality regulators cost at least 2 or 3 times standard marine grade steel.

 

[kikifromcayman]

thanks for the info guys! thats interesting about 'marine grade' stainless steel. I think im gonna give atomic aquatics a call and see how they explain the differences...if they even know lol I prolly wont have time to do it today but when i do ill let you guys know what they say!

 

[Jimmer]

I dont think I've ever come across stainless plated brass reg, if you know of a reg made of that, I'd love to know what it is. The majority are Chrome plated brass, brass is corrosion resistant, has next to no reactivity with oxygen, it is plentiful, its very soft which makes forging and machining an easy task. The chrome plate is generally for a protective layer on the brass, since it is so soft it will damage easily, the chrome is substantially harder, also it makes it prettier. As fisherdvm said, Ti is a very corrosion resistant metal, one of the best available, it also has a better strength to weight ratio than stainless, which of course makes for a lighter product. The downside is it will react violently to high fractions and pressues of O2, making it unsuitable for high oxygen mixes. Monel is an alloy that has similar properties to Stainless, and is exceptionally corrosion resistant, its used a lot in pumps transporting acids and things like that. Zirconium is another metal that has similar properties to Ti, but I believe is more corrosion resistant, and expensive as hell. It's primary use is chemical processing and nuclear reactors

 

[clown trigger]

I am a novice diver and love titanium (its all over my bike). I was told that Ti can react with some of the gases the tech people are using. Since I don't ever plan to be a tech diver I would love some Ti gear, I just don't want to pay the money just yet.

Any metal that is left in salt water is going to corrode, does matter what the ore/metal grade is...

 

[kikifromcayman]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Jimmer,[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]A T O M I C A Q U A T I C S R E G U L A T O R S Y S T E M S [/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]FIRST STAGES[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]T2[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]B2[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Z2[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]M1[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Compact size[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Balanced piston design[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]First stage materials[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]titanium/monel[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]brass/stainless[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]brass/stainless[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]brass/monel[/FONT]
this was copied directly from atomic aquatics website. i just have to rush off now but ill get back on later today !

 

[Jimmer]

I am a novice diver and love titanium (its all over my bike). I was told that Ti can react with some of the gases the tech people are using. Since I don't ever plan to be a tech diver I would love some Ti gear, I just don't want to pay the money just yet.

Any metal that is left in salt water is going to corrode, does matter what the ore/metal grade is...

Yes it absolutely matters, different grades of stainless will corrode differently than other. Some metals will not corrode under any circumstance.

Jim

 

[kikifromcayman]

that didnt copy and paste to well... the B2 and Z2 1st stages are made of brass /stainless..apparently