Titanium Facts

Titanium is ranked ninth in abundance among the elements in the crust of the earth but is never found in the pure state. It occurs as an oxide in the minerals ilmenite, FeTiO3; rutile, TiO2; and sphene, CaO · TiO2 · SiO2. The world production of titanium compound exceeds 1 million tonnes annually, of which only a small proportion is used in the production of pure titanium metal - about 100,000 tonnes, mainly in Russia, the USA and Japan

Titanium has a density of just 4.505 kg per cubic metre, but combines this metallic "lightness" with a strength, especially in titanium alloys, considerably higher than aluminium alloys and comparable to the best structural steel. Conductivity of heat and electricity is low, and titanium retains its' properties in a range of approximately -270oC to +400oC. At near absolute zero titanium becomes superconductive. At the higher temperature limit, strength diminishes and oxidisation increases, limiting the range of applications at high temperatures. Titanium melts at about 1660° C, boils at about 3287° C. The atomic weight of titanium is 47.9.

High Reactivity

Chemically, titanium is distinguished by its high reactivity, which is only surpassed by metals such as magnesium, calcium and sodium. That titanium can be employed under circumstances where most other structural material would be subject to severe corrosion is due to the properties of its oxide, TiO - it is highly resistant and forms a self-healing coating which is normally only about 0.01 mm thick. If the coating is damaged and the environment contains oxygen in some form, the titanium and oxygen react and rebuilds the oxide. In deoxidised or reduction environments, the oxide protection is weakened and the metal becomes exposed to corrosion. Thus where resistance to corrosion is required, the resistance can often be improved through the introduction of an oxidation agent into the application environment.