Beiyu Titanium supplies ASTM B348 titanium bar and billet in Grades 1, 2, 5, 7, 12 and 23, round sizes 1 to 500 mm diameter, and issues an EN 10204 type 3.1 certificate by order scope, tied to the heat number and pour number of the material actually shipped.
What must a 3.1 certificate show on a B348 bar order?
A type 3.1 document is issued by the manufacturer and validated by an inspection function independent of the production department. It reports actual test results for the delivered heats, not typical values. On an ASTM B348 order the certificate should carry the lines below, and each number on it is produced by a method the standard itself names.
| Certificate line | What it reports | How the value is produced |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical composition | O, Fe, C, N, H and alloying elements for each heat | ASTM B348 cites E539 (X-ray fluorescence) and E1409 (oxygen and nitrogen by inert gas fusion) among its referenced analysis methods |
| Hydrogen | Reported per heat | ASTM B348 cites E1447 for hydrogen determination |
| Carbon | Reported per heat | ASTM B348 cites E1941 for carbon by combustion analysis |
| Tensile results | Tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, reduction of area | ASTM B348 cites E8 for tension testing |
| Rounding of reported values | How limit comparisons are made | ASTM B348 cites E29 for rounding practice |
| Traceability | Heat number and pour number matching the bar marking | Compared physically against bundle tags at receiving |
These method references settle how the numbers on the certificate are produced. They do not add inspections beyond the order scope, and a heat analysis is not the same thing as a check analysis on delivered product.
Which grades can Beiyu supply against B348?
| Grade | UNS | Type | Common duty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | R50250 | Unalloyed, softest | Deep drawn parts, anode and electrolyzer work |
| Grade 2 | R50400 | Unalloyed workhorse | Chemical process and seawater equipment |
| Grade 5 | R56400 | Ti-6Al-4V | High strength machined components |
| Grade 7 | R52400 | Unalloyed plus 0.12 to 0.25 percent palladium | Reducing acid service |
| Grade 12 | R53400 | Ti-0.3Mo-0.8Ni | Hot brine and crevice conditions |
| Grade 23 | R56407 | Ti-6Al-4V ELI | Higher toughness bar |
One numbering point worth knowing: under ASTM B348 the ELI grade carries UNS R56407. The surgical implant specification ASTM F136 assigns R56401 and is quoted as a separate standard, so a certificate that mixes the two designations is itself a warning sign.
What sizes does the supply envelope cover?
Beiyu supplies round bar from 1 to 500 mm diameter, square bar from 3 x 3 to 500 x 500 mm, flat bar from 3 x 12.7 to 30 x 500 mm, hexagonal bar up to 17 mm across flats, and lengths up to 6000 mm. A precision ground route covers 3.175 to 25.4 mm diameter (0.125 to 1.000 in) at a diameter tolerance of +/-0.0127 mm (+/-0.0005 in), tightened to +/-0.0076 mm against a drawing.
| Form | Beiyu supply range |
|---|---|
| Round bar | 1 to 500 mm diameter |
| Square bar | 3 x 3 to 500 x 500 mm |
| Flat bar | 3 x 12.7 to 30 x 500 mm |
| Hexagonal bar | Up to 17 mm across flats |
| Length | Up to 6000 mm |
| Precision ground bar | 3.175 to 25.4 mm diameter, +/-0.0127 mm, tightened +/-0.0076 mm |
What inspection stands behind the certificate?
In Beiyu’s inspection routine, bar runs through five checks at 100 percent coverage rather than by sampling, and the ultrasonic parameters are stated so an acceptance class can be written into the order.
| Inspection | Coverage and parameters |
|---|---|
| Ultrasonic | Immersion method, focused longitudinal wave, 100 percent of the circumference, 1.2 mm flat-bottom hole reference at 80 percent screen height, 10 MHz, Class A1, per AMS-STD-2154 or GB/T 5193 |
| Eddy current | 100 percent of bar length |
| Surface optical check | 100 percent |
| Infrared laser diameter measurement | 100 percent of bar length |
| Straightness | 100 percent coverage; on the precision ground bar line, held to 0.5 mm per metre, tightened to 0.3 mm per metre for sizes 25 mm and under |
How do you check the certificate before you pay?
| Step | What to compare |
|---|---|
| 1. Heat numbers | Certificate heats against bundle tags and bar marking, every bundle must map to a listed heat |
| 2. Chemistry | Reported values against the limits of ASTM B348 for the grade ordered, values sitting exactly on every limit are a pattern worth questioning |
| 3. Mechanicals | Tensile and yield against the grade minimums, with elongation reported, not omitted |
| 4. Certificate type | The document must state type 3.1, a 2.2 declaration of compliance is not the same level of evidence |
| 5. Independent witness | Third-party inspection at the works can be written into the order when the application calls for it |
A worked walkthrough with a real certificate layout is in the guide on how to verify a titanium mill test certificate, and the full standard context sits in the ASTM B348 bar and billet guide.
Specification detail with sources
For Grade 2 bar, the chemical requirements of ASTM B348 set maximum limits of 0.25 percent oxygen, 0.30 percent iron, 0.08 percent carbon, 0.03 percent nitrogen and 0.015 percent hydrogen by weight, and the tensile requirements of the same standard set a minimum tensile strength of 345 MPa with yield strength between 275 and 450 MPa in the annealed condition. Grade 2 carries UNS R50400 under the designation system referenced by ASTM B348.
On the supply side, the numbers above the certificate are Beiyu’s own published figures: round bar 1 to 500 mm diameter, ground bar straightness 0.5 mm per metre tightened to 0.3 mm per metre for sizes 25 mm and under, ground bar diameter tolerance +/-0.0127 mm per Beiyu’s precision ground bar program, and ultrasonic inspection to a 1.2 mm flat-bottom hole reference at Class A1 per AMS-STD-2154 or GB/T 5193 in Beiyu’s inspection routine. An EN 10204 type 3.1 certificate accompanies each order by order scope.
Frequently asked questions
Does a 3.1 certificate mean an independent laboratory tested the bar? No. Type 3.1 is validated by the manufacturer’s own inspection representative, independent of the production department. Independent witnessing is arranged separately, either as third-party inspection on the order or as a type 3.2 document by agreement.
Can one certificate cover more than one heat? Yes, when an order ships from several heats. The certificate lists each heat’s chemistry separately, and the bundle marking tells you which bars belong to which heat.
Is a heat analysis the same as a product analysis? No. ASTM B348 separates the ingot or heat analysis from a check analysis on delivered product, which is what allows a buyer to sample bar and compare against the certificate.
What if my purchase order cites both ASTM B348 and AMS 4928? The two can be ordered together when both sets of requirements are written out, covered in detail in ordering ASTM and AMS on the same titanium purchase order.
Is it safe to place this kind of order with a Chinese supplier at all? The evidence chain above works regardless of country, and the direct answer, including where Chinese titanium fits and where it does not, is in is it safe to buy titanium from a Chinese supplier.
Request a B348 bar quotation
Send the grade, standard designation, diameter or section, length, quantity, delivery condition and the certificate wording your quality system needs to the Beiyu RFQ page. Quotations are reviewed by grade, standard, dimensions, tolerance, surface condition and inspection scope before pricing.
Reviewed by Penn Ma, 15 years in titanium mill product export. Last reviewed: 2026-08-20.