Study on Creep Resistance and Feasibility of Titanium Alloy Ti60 for Organ Pipe Tubes

Wen Sun

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64486/m.66.1.10
Online publication date: June 29, 2026

Abstract: Pipe organs rely on the long-term dimensional stability of metal tubes to maintain accurate intonation, while traditional tin-lead alloy tubes are susceptible to room-temperature creep, which may lead to irreversible deformation and pitch drift. This theoretical feasibility study (without new experimental testing or acoustic validation) explores the potential of the newly developed Ti60 high-temperature titanium alloy as an organ pipe material from the perspective of creep resistance. The analysis is based on published high-temperature creep data and physically constrained mathematical extrapolation. Published creep data for Ti60 alloy at 550 °C indicate a typical three-stage creep behavior, including primary, secondary, and tertiary creep stages, with a minimum steady-state creep rate of 0.04 h⁻¹ under the reported test conditions. Based on the creep deformation mechanism dominated by dislocation motion and on the Arrhenius relationship describing the temperature dependence of creep rate, the study suggests that Ti60 may exhibit extremely low creep deformation under low-stress room-temperature conditions. It should be emphasized that this conclusion is based solely on theoretical extrapolation and does not represent experimental verification of actual service performance. Using an established creep constitutive model, mathematical extrapolation, and mechanistic analysis of high-temperature creep behavior, this work provides a preliminary theoretical assessment of the feasibility of Ti60 as an alternative organ pipe material in terms of creep resistance. The results suggest a potential direction for future research aimed at reducing long-term dimensional deformation caused by room-temperature creep and supporting the preservation of pipe organ cultural heritage.

Keywords: Ti60 alloy; organ pipe tube; creep property; creep constitutive model; room-temperature creep extrapolation

This article is published online first and will appear in Metalurgija, Vol. 66, Issue 1 (2027).