Titanium – The World’s Versatile Metal

Titanium fits the bill exactly, as for a wide range of purposes and applications it can rival or even beat many other common metals such as steel. It provides a number of benefits to manufacturers and end users.

What is Titanium

Titanium is one of the most abundant metals to be found in the Earth’s crust, but until recently has often been overlooked. It is present in minerals such as sphene, rutile, anatase and ilmenite. Titanium can be extracted from these minerals and used directly, or as titanium dioxide that acts as a brightening or whitening agent in paint.

Titanium is as strong as one of the most sought-after metals in the world, steel, but has the advantage over steel of being about half of its weight. This means that it is particularly suitable for a range of applications for metals where weight is an issue. It is also less heavy than iron or aluminum, meaning that in many cases it can also replace those metals for specific applications.

Uses of Titanium

Aerospace

An increasingly common application for titanium is in the aerospace industry to meet the demands of global travel. Planes are heavy and use a great deal of fuel, particularly on take-off. The strength of titanium combined with its relatively light weight, as opposed to the heavier weight of steel, means that it is a perfect material to be used in the construction of aircraft.

This means that planes can maintain their strength and structural integrity, but with lower fuel costs, which is a major cost factor for airlines who are operating on small profit margins.

Prosthetics

One of the most useful applications for titanium is in the production and use of prosthetics. This is because titanium is inert within the human body, meaning that the body is not going to view titanium as a foreign object that needs to be eliminated.

Titanium connects well with parts of the human body, such as bones and joints, and teeth. This means that it is ideal for hip replacements, prosthetic limbs, dental implants, and maxillofacial plates for reconstructing the head or the skull after illness or injury,

Paint

For many centuries, many paints had lead added to them as a pigment. It was discovered in recent decades that this was dangerous for the human brain and body, and so a replacement was needed. The pigmentation properties of titanium dioxide have enabled lead to be removed from paint. Titanium dioxide is also safely used in a range of other products for its whitening properties including plastics, cosmetics, sunscreen and toothpaste, all rendered safe due to its inert properties.

Military Technology

Just as titanium can provide an economic boost to operating aircraft, it can also provide combat boosts to military technology. It can often be found within a range of different military technologies such as armour plating, aircraft parts, ships and even missiles. The lightweight nature of titanium improves manoeuvrability and speed of military vehicles and missiles without compromising safety in any way.

Titanium has also been found to have excellent resistance to corrosion, as well as the capability of retaining its strength across a range of temperatures. This adaptability and strength has led to continued research into its uses.

One such use is in the construction of submarines. Titanium has proven to be resistant over time to the perils and corrosive effects of seawater. Because of this, titanium is used in a number of ship parts in merchant fleets also, particularly for ship propellers and other parts that are exposed to seawater and the rigours of the sea.

Spacecraft

Along with aircraft and military uses, titanium has become a significant component in the manufacture and use of spacecraft and satellites. As with aircraft, the lightness of the metal combined with its strength makes it suitable for a range of uses that are literally out of this world.

Launching a spacecraft or satellite uses a great deal of expensive fuel, and the lightness of titanium enables expensive launch costs to be reduced and minimized. NASA used titanium in the Mars Odyssey in order to reduce weight and retain strength on its rigorous voyage and deployment.

Jewellery

Away from military uses, titanium has found a home as a common material for jewellers in creating fashion items such as rings, earrings, necklaces. The lightweight nature of titanium means that individuals wearing titanium jewellery will not feel the weight that other metals might bring, whilst the strength of titanium ensures that jewellery will not easily go out of shape or corrode quickly, enabling them to retain their value and attractive aesthetic.

Mobile Technology

The attractiveness of titanium, especially when polished, has led to an increase in its use in the manufacture of mobile phones and other such devices. Titanium provides strength to handheld devices that could otherwise be very fragile if dropped.

Titanium can often be found in electronic devices where weight is a factor, a prime example being laptop computers and other portable electronic equipment.

Sports

Titanium has increasingly been used as an alternative to steel in a range of sports, particularly in equipment for both amateurs and professionals.

Titanium can be found in items such as bicycles and golf clubs, due to its ability to provide high performance. A golf club can be swung harder and a bicycle ridden faster due to its weight and strength. A common high-performance use is in racing cars, such as Formula 1, although it can also be found in hobby equipment such as fishing rods.

Conclusion

The perfect combination of strength with a lightweight profile means that titanium is truly one of the most versatile metals on the planet, improving our lives and involved in so many of the technologies and products that we use on a daily basis.

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