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Does Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy float?

Does Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy float?
No
4,430 kg/m³ against water's 1,000

Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy sinks. At 4,430 kg/m³ it is 4.43 times denser than water.

Why

Floating is decided by density alone — mass divided by volume — compared against the fluid. Weight has nothing to do with it directly: a 200-tonne ship floats and a 2-gram pebble sinks, because the ship encloses enough air to bring its average density below that of water. That is also the only reason a steel hull works.

The numbers

Density
4,430 kg/m³
Relative to fresh water
4.430×
Floats in fresh water
No
Floats in seawater
No

Compared with other materials

Material Density Floats
aluminum 2,700 kg/m³ No
aluminum 6061 2,700 kg/m³ No
granite 2,700 kg/m³ No
marble 2,700 kg/m³ No
slate 2,750 kg/m³ No
aluminum 7075 2,810 kg/m³ No
silicon carbide 3,210 kg/m³ No
diamond 3,515 kg/m³ No
alumina 3,900 kg/m³ No
Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy ← 4,430 kg/m³ No

Common questions

Does Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy float in water?
No — at 4,430 kg/m³ it is denser than water's 1,000.
Does weight decide whether something floats?
No, density does. A 200-tonne ship floats and a small pebble sinks, because the ship encloses enough air to bring its average density below water.

Related pages

Sources

  1. Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place

How these figures are compiled and checked