Electrochemical machining of titanium. Review

The problems of overcoming titanium passivity that hampers reaching high rates of its anodic dissolution, the optimization of electrolyte composition, and the mode of electrochemical machining (ECM) are considered. The anodic potentials of machining and the current efficiencies for titanium ionization reaction in relation to the anionic composition of electrolyte and the nature of solvent are presented. Some details of the mechanism of high-rate anodic dissolution of metal, which determine the main results of ECM, are considered. The examples of techniques of ECM of titanium and their biomedical and aircraft industry applications are presented.