Titanium Clad Plate Sourcing from China
Meritus Technology procures titanium clad steel plate from audited mills in China — handling supplier qualification, hold-point inspection, EN 10204 documentation, and export logistics on behalf of EPC contractors and end users worldwide.
What Titanium Clad Plate Is
Titanium clad plate bonds a thin layer of corrosion-resistant titanium to a thicker structural base plate of carbon or stainless steel. The titanium layer provides the chemistry resistance — to seawater, chlorides, dilute acids, and oxidizing media — while the base plate carries the mechanical load. For pressure vessels, heat exchangers, columns, and reactors operating in aggressive service, clad plate delivers titanium-grade durability at a fraction of solid-titanium material cost.
China is now the largest concentration of titanium mill capacity in the world, producing the majority of the global supply of commercially pure and alloyed titanium plate. Buyers source from China to access this capacity, but the procurement path is rarely simple — mill qualification, language, inspection coordination, and export documentation are real barriers. Meritus operates as the procurement and inspection layer between the buyer and the mill. We do not own bonding lines or operate mills.
Grades & Standards We Source
- Cladding (titanium): ASTM B265 Gr.1, Gr.2, Gr.7 (Pd), Gr.12
- Base plate: ASME SA516 Gr.60/65/70, SA537, A36; stainless 316L; duplex 2205
- Bonding standards: ASTM B898, NB/T 47002.3, GB/T 8547
- Bond verification: 100% UT per ASTM A578 Level B; shear ≥ 140 MPa per ASTM A264
- Material certification: EN 10204 3.1 standard; 3.2 with third-party witness on request
Typical Size Ranges
Conservative ranges representative of what mill partners deliver routinely. Larger or non-standard dimensions are quoted case by case.
- Cladding thickness: 1.5–4 mm (roll-bonded), 3–8 mm (explosion-bonded)
- Base plate thickness: 6–60 mm (roll-bonded), 8–200 mm (explosion-bonded)
- Max width: 3,000 mm (roll-bonded), 4,000 mm (explosion-bonded)
- Max length: 8,000 mm (roll-bonded), 12,000 mm (explosion-bonded)
Applications
Titanium clad plate is the standard specification wherever a pressure boundary contacts a corrosive medium and where solid titanium would be over-specified or uneconomic.
Equipment: pressure vessels (ASME VIII Div.1, PED 2014/68/EU), shell-and-tube heat exchanger tube sheets and channels, distillation and absorption columns, reactors and autoclaves, storage tanks for chloride and acid service.
Industries: oil & gas (offshore separators, sour service), petrochemical and PTA plants, FGD (flue-gas desulfurization) absorbers, chlor-alkali and acid production, seawater desalination (MED, MSF, RO).
How Meritus Sources Titanium Clad Plate
Mill qualification and audit. Meritus maintains a vetted shortlist of titanium mill and bonding-shop partners across China. Qualification covers ISO 9001, NDT operator certification, dedicated titanium handling areas, and bond-test history.
RFQ and bilingual technical clarification. We translate buyer drawings and specs into the format Chinese mills can quote against. Clarification questions go back to the buyer in plain English with a recommended response.
Hold-point inspection. Meritus inspectors witness UT bonding scans, shear-strength testing per ASTM A264, dimensional checks, and surface inspection at agreed hold points. Material test certificates are reviewed for heat-number traceability before release.
Documentation. Standard package: EN 10204 3.1 MTC, NDT reports (UT and shear), dimensional report, mill certificates, packing list. EN 10204 3.2 with notified-body or class-society countersignature arranged when required.
Third-party witness, packing, customs, freight. BV, DNV, Lloyd's, TÜV, or SGS witness inspection arranged on request. FOB, CFR, CIF, and DDP terms supported.
Why Buyers Use a Procurement Desk Instead of Going Direct
- Language and technical translation — most mill technical staff communicate in Mandarin; ambiguities about UT acceptance level or third-party stamp requirements often surface only at FAT.
- Lead-time variance — a procurement desk routes orders across qualified alternates and absorbs variance before it reaches the buyer's schedule.
- Quality consistency across orders — the third or fourth order from a new mill is where consistency drifts; Meritus carries inspection memory across the program.
- Independent QA versus mill self-certification — an independent inspector at the hold point catches issues at the stage where rework is still cheap.
- End-to-end logistics — export licensing, HS codes, sea-freight packing, and incoterms reconciliation removed from the buyer's plate.
More on the Meritus sourcing process and our quality and inspection framework.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between titanium clad plate and solid titanium plate?
Solid titanium plate is a single homogeneous titanium plate, used where the entire cross-section must resist corrosion or where weight reduction matters. Titanium clad plate bonds a thin titanium layer (typically 1.5–8 mm) to a thicker carbon-steel or stainless-steel base plate. The base plate carries the structural load while the titanium layer provides the corrosion barrier, giving buyers titanium-grade chemistry resistance at a fraction of the material cost.
What grades of titanium cladding does Meritus source?
Meritus sources commercially pure and alloyed titanium grades to ASTM B265 — most commonly Gr.1 and Gr.2 for general corrosion service, Gr.7 (titanium-palladium) for reducing acid environments, and Gr.12 for moderately elevated temperatures. Backer materials are typically ASME SA516 Gr.60/65/70 or SA537 carbon steel, with stainless and duplex backers available on request.
What inspection standards apply to explosion-bonded titanium clad plate?
Bond integrity is verified by 100% ultrasonic testing per ASTM A578 Level B (or stricter, when the buyer specifies Level C). Shear strength is tested per ASTM A264 with a minimum acceptance of 140 MPa. Dimensional, surface, and edge inspections follow ASTM B898. Material test certificates are issued per EN 10204 3.1 as standard, with 3.2 (third-party countersigned) available when a notified body or class society is engaged.
What is the typical lead time from RFQ to ex-works?
Lead times depend on titanium grade availability and bonding method. Roll-bonded plates in standard Gr.1/Gr.2 typically run 8–12 weeks from order confirmation to ex-works. Explosion-bonded plates, especially in Gr.7 or non-standard sizes, commonly run 12–16 weeks.
Can Meritus coordinate third-party inspection (BV, DNV, SGS)?
Yes. Meritus arranges third-party witness inspection from Bureau Veritas, DNV, Lloyd's Register, TÜV, or SGS at any agreed hold or witness point — typically at material receipt, post-bonding UT, shear test, and final dimensional.
Explosion-bonded vs roll-bonded — does Meritus source both?
Yes. Roll-bonded plate is preferred for large flat panels with thinner cladding (typically up to ~4 mm titanium on ~30 mm base) and offers a lower per-square-meter cost. Explosion-bonded plate handles thicker cladding layers, dissimilar-metal combinations, and shapes that roll bonding cannot accommodate.
What is the minimum order quantity?
There is no fixed MOQ — orders are quoted by plate count and total tonnage rather than a unit threshold. Most economical orders fall in the 5-tonne and above range. Smaller prototype or repair quantities are accommodated with a clear surcharge note in the quotation.
Request a Quotation
Send your drawing, grade, base material, and required quantity. Meritus responds with a confirmed mill, indicative pricing, and lead time within two working days.