demands and supplies - titanium backplate

[Berdman]

You could keep your self amused during surface intervals by sparking it and watching the pretty white sparks.


mmmm titanium
:32:

 

[DeepBound]

That being said, i would like to hear what other sort of advantages a titanium bp would have over ss or aluminum.

Are they bulletproof? If someone shoots your tank when it's on your back, and it explodes, will it protect you?

 

[String]

As an example, a diver might be on an expedition that requires a lightweight backplate for traveling but does not have access to freshwater on location (e.g. diving off a small tropical island where freshwater is nonexistent and equipment must function without rinsing).

In that scenario your mask straps, regs, wing would all corrode long before an aluminium or steel plate would.

Also with no fresh water YOU would be dead long before the plate corroded.

 

[plwtwo]

The difference is I have the money to burn, so I have a Zeagle Titanium Backplate. For those of you commenting on why would someone spend the money on one...

BECAUSE I CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:mooner:

 

[cool_hardware52]

There are four types of divers I can think of that would constitute the market for a titanium backplate.

- Divers who enjoy conspicuous assumption.

No doubt

- Divers who need to shave weight off their gear in order to accommodate air traveling weight limits and that do not like aluminium or polymers. As an example, a diver might be on an expedition that requires a lightweight backplate for traveling but does not have access to freshwater on location (e.g. diving off a small tropical island where freshwater is nonexistent and equipment must function without rinsing). Aluminium can corrode very quickly when exposed to a warm and humid environment. Polymers, which can be quite strong, are often not as robust as an alloy designed for harsh conditions.

Backplates do not need to be very strong. The loads they handle are modest. Properly executed plastics will always both lighter in weight and less negative. Many "engineering" thermoplastics have a specifc gravity of 1.2~1.4. The SG of Ti is ~4.5...

- Military divers that require a robust and nonmagnetic backplate with a long service life. Aluminium will eventually corrode and need replacement. A polymer/composite backplate may not be durable enough.

Austenitic SS is non magnetic, unless cold worked, and that can be corrected by stress relieving. We aren't talking about spheres for a MK15, the stresses in a Scuba backplate are trivial, if you want non magnetic use plastic. Polymer / composite not durable enough? Must be why they aren't using any polymers or composites in high performance jet aircraft........

- Divers who want to buy equipment that won't ever fail, regardless of how unlikely or minor a failure may be. I happen to be such a person, and as long as the price is not too extravagant, I'll save my pennies, buy it, and pass it on to my grandchildren.

There are no zero failure parts.

Most people will advocate aluminium alloys over titanium alloys in diving applications. Aluminium is indeed a lighter material than titanium, but it is also softer, weaker, and prone to corrosion over long periods of marine exposure. In my view, aluminium backplates are essentially disposable, as they eventually corrode to the point where a new backplate is preferable to the aggravation. However, it takes many years of use for an aluminium backplate to suffer such effects, so most divers with aluminium backplates will only experience such problems far into the future, if ever. Yet, some people will want something that is stronger than aluminium alloy and utterly corrosion proof. Polymers and stainless steel just aren't good enough for some people. But, if a titanium backplate were more than twice the price of an equivalent stainless steel backplate, the cost/benefit ratio would be quite unfavourable to most people I think. However, if a titanium backplate were in the $200-$300 range, then there might be sufficient interest to support the product. Titanium as a material has a great many virtues, but many of those virtues are negated by its cost. If you can find some way to produce a relatively affordable titanium backplate, people will buy it. I certainly would.

As for the variety of titanium alloy to use for a backplate, I would strongly recommend using 6Al-4V (AKA grade 5) titanium alloy, the 'workhorse' of titanium alloys. 6Al-4V is widely available, it is heat treatable, it can be hot or cold formed, and has excellent strength. If a shop has experience with austenitic stainless steel alloys (300 series), then it can work with 6Al-4V titanium alloy.

There is no need for a heat treated scuba back plate.

Many manufacturers of titanium products use CP (commercially pure) titanium, the most common variety known as 'grade 2'. Grade 2 titanium is unalloyed, and while still a robust material, is not as strong as a titanium alloy and cannot be heat treated. I believe the primary reason for the popularity of CP titanium is its relatively low cost and wide availability. Many manufacturers will shave pennies off of material costs and still exploit the aura of invincibility that titanium has seemed to garner.

The benefits of titanium's famous strength to weight ratio are best realized with 6Al-4V or similar alloy. Using CP in my opinion would be a cop-out.

6/4 (or 3/2.5) is stronger than CP, but strenght is a non issue in this application. CP is more corrosion resistant than any of the Ti alloys. Most pure elements are, including 1000 aluminum.

Tobin

 

[mikerault]

Go with the Titanium Spyder concept (minimize mass by just providing enough metal to support the wing (35# OxyCheq) and tank(s) add a titanium STA with Ti fasteners, titanium dive watch, computer and regulator set and call it the Titanium Spyder dive system system...you'll make a fortune...cut me in for 10% since I came up with the full concept

 

[dive_lover88]

man..you ppl really have too much time on hand to think of these stuff...it is possible, but not economically fesible for the majority of the community. I would think that after launching the titanium backplate, the prices would rocket and wouldnt come down due to the cost of fabrication or even securing the metal. Are you ppl going to start a price war with the other industries,namely the aerospace industry, that relies on this metal for manufacturing.

just my 2cents.

 

[Tom R]

Are they bulletproof? If someone shoots your tank when it's on your back, and it explodes, will it protect you?

Sounds like a fellow like you would need something like this, any reason why?

 

[Scubakevdm]

Screw the Ti BP, that's just plain silly. I want a pair of titanium fins.

 

[Cheekymonkey]

I don't fully understgand why some peopole are so adamantly against it. Even if you don't see the need for the item doesnt mean theres not a market for it. Unfortunately there are not enough people going out and trying to produce items like this themselves... That is why we pay a fortune already.

I say encourage everyone that is willing to help create gear for divers by divers, it can't hurt us.