According to the Titanium Processing Center, Grade 5 titanium is known as the ‘workhorse’ grade of titanium due to its superior tensile strength. This makes it the most popular variety and is estimated to make up approximately half of all titanium production in the world. It’s commonly used in medical, marine, aerospace, and chemical processing applications, but it has many other uses as well. Manufacturers have used Grade 5 titanium in everything from sporting equipment to aircraft turbines.
During the event, Yang stated that Grade 5 titanium is, “an alloy that has even higher tensile strength than pure titanium. It’s typically reserved for applications where the balance of strength, formability, as well as weight, are especially critical. In fact, this is the same alloy used on the Mars Rover.” As if the material used to collect samples on the fourth rock from the sun didn’t speak for itself, she then spoke about how this alloy has one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios that can be found in any metal.
It seems that this is the primary reason why Apple chose it. Grade 5 titanium is strong and lightweight, which has allowed the tech company to design the iPhone 15 Pro with a slimmer, lighter, and more durable frame. It’s thanks to this alloy that the new smartphone has a smaller profile that doesn’t sacrifice structural integrity–all while cutting the final products weight and maintaining the same size screen.
