Material Selection
Guide
Compare the six alloys used in FILTURE sintered metal filters and titanium components — properties, corrosion performance, typical applications, and cost efficiency — to identify the right material for your process conditions.
316L Stainless Steel
Properties
Advantages
- Lowest cost among all alloys listed
- Excellent availability — short lead times
- Common in pharma and food equipment, subject to the applicable specification
- Easy to weld, machine and sinter
- Proven in thousands of filtration applications
Limitations
- Susceptible to chloride stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) above 60 °C
- Not suitable for concentrated HCl or H₂SO₄
- Lower corrosion resistance than titanium in aggressive media
- Max service temp limited to ~400 °C in oxidising atmospheres
Default recommendation for most new applications. Move to titanium or higher alloys when corrosion data indicates.
Pure Titanium
Properties
Advantages
- Superior corrosion resistance vs. 316L in most environments
- Immune to chloride stress-corrosion cracking
- Used in regulated applications; confirm the required grade and compliance basis
- ~40 % lighter than stainless steel
- Excellent resistance to seawater, wet chlorine, and oxidising acids
- Standard choice for PEM electrolyser gas-diffusion layers
Limitations
- Lower yield strength than Ti-6Al-4V alloy or Hastelloy
- Attacked by fluorine, fluoride solutions, and red fuming HNO₃
- More expensive than 316L SS
- Maximum service temp lower than nickel-based alloys
Preferred upgrade from 316L when chloride SCC or corrosive media is a concern. FILTURE specialty material.
Ti-6Al-4V
Properties
Advantages
- Highest strength of the standard titanium alloys — ideal for load-bearing fasteners
- Excellent fatigue resistance for threaded and torqued components
- Strong corrosion resistance, but compatibility must be checked for the actual chemical, temperature, surface condition, and stress state
- ~40 % lighter than equivalent stainless steel fasteners
- Widely used in aerospace, medical, and industrial fastener applications
Limitations
- FILTURE standard porous filtration media currently use pure titanium or stainless steel; Grade 5 is supplied mainly for machined parts and fasteners unless a porous Grade 5 product is specifically documented
- Al and V alloying elements may limit compatibility with certain process fluids
- Significantly more expensive than pure titanium or 316L SS
- Overkill where pure titanium fasteners meet strength requirements
FILTURE currently supplies Ti-6Al-4V mainly for documented machined components and fasteners. Standard sintered filter media are pure titanium or stainless steel; verify any non-standard porous alloy in the quotation and material documents.
Hastelloy C-276
Properties
Advantages
- Outstanding resistance to a wide range of aggressive chemicals
- Resistant to pitting and crevice corrosion in chloride-rich media
- Excellent performance in both oxidising and reducing environments
- High service temperature up to 650 °C
- Resists HCl, H₂SO₄, HF in many concentrations
Limitations
- Very high cost — typically 8–12× more than 316L
- Limited availability, longer lead times
- Heavy (nickel-based density ~8.9 g/cm³)
- Overkill for most standard filtration duties
Reserve for environments that have corroded or degraded lower-grade alloys. Justify with corrosion data.
Monel 400
Properties
Advantages
- Exceptional resistance to hydrofluoric acid (HF)
- Excellent resistance to seawater, brine, and marine atmospheres
- Good resistance to alkalis and reducing acids
- Higher service temperature than titanium
- Superior to 316L in many halide environments
Limitations
- Susceptible to SCC in moist HF vapour under stress
- Not resistant to strong oxidising acids (HNO₃)
- Significantly more expensive than 316L SS
- Nickel-copper alloy — restricted in some food contact regulations
First choice for HF acid duty. Also preferred in offshore and marine filtration where seawater is the process fluid.
Inconel 625
Properties
Advantages
- Exceptional high-temperature strength up to 980 °C
- Outstanding oxidation and scaling resistance
- Excellent fatigue and thermal-fatigue strength
- Resistant to pitting, crevice corrosion and chloride SCC
- Wide chemical resistance — suits exotic process fluids
Limitations
- Extremely high cost — premium alloy
- Very limited availability, long lead times
- Properties are overkill for most industrial filtration
Specified for furnace and high-temperature gas filtration where no other alloy meets both corrosion and temperature requirements.
Property Comparison
Quick-reference table across key performance indicators. Scroll horizontally on smaller screens.
| Property | 316L SS | Pure Ti | Ti-6Al-4V | C-276 | Monel | In.625 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Service Temp | 400 °C | 350 °C | Application review required | 650 °C | 480 °C | 980 °C |
| Corrosion — General | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Superior | Very good | Excellent |
| Chloride Resistance | Moderate | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Excellent |
| Strong Acid Resistance | Limited | Moderate | Moderate | Excellent | Moderate | Excellent |
| HF / Fluoride Service | Poor | Poor | Poor | Good | Excellent | Good |
| High-Temp Strength | Moderate | Moderate | Excellent | Good | Good | Excellent |
Compliance must be assessed for the specified material, finished component and intended use. Material selection alone does not establish FDA approval, biocompatibility or food-contact compliance; agree the required documentation before ordering.
How to Choose
Match your primary process condition to a starting material recommendation. Always confirm with your FILTURE engineer for final selection.
Standard service, moderate budget
Non-aggressive process fluids, temperatures below 300 °C, no specific corrosion concern.
→ 316L Stainless SteelCorrosive media or chloride risk
Seawater, bleach, wet chlorine, oxidising acids, pharmaceutical CIP/SIP, hydrogen electrolysis.
→ Pure TitaniumTitanium fasteners or machined parts
Screws, bolts, nuts, washers, and precision CNC components requiring high strength and light weight.
→ Ti-6Al-4V (Fasteners & Parts)Highly aggressive chemicals
Concentrated HCl, mixed acids, flue gas scrubbing, environments that corrode 316L or titanium.
→ Hastelloy C-276HF acid or marine seawater
Hydrofluoric acid handling, offshore / sub-sea brine, alkali process streams, oil and gas.
→ Monel 400Very high temperature (> 500 °C)
Furnace gas filtration, aerospace exhaust, high-temp calcination, extreme oxidising atmospheres.
→ Inconel 625Not sure which material to choose?
Send us your process conditions — temperature, pressure, fluid chemistry — and our engineers will recommend the right alloy and pore size for your application.