Titanium

Titanium was discovered in 1791 in Menachan Valley, in Cornwall, England, by clergyman William Gregor.

It is a light coloured metal used principally to make lightweight, resistant alloys.

Titanium is one of the transitional elements of the periodic table and has many desirable properties, among which an incredible strength and durability. It is abundant on Earth and has been detected in meteorites, in the Sun and in other stars. Titanium oxide bands are particularly prominent in the spectra of M type stars. Titanium oxide (TiO2) is also found on the Moon.

Titanium is immune to corrosive attacks by saltwater and marine atmosphere, and is extremely resistant to the attacks of a broad range of corrosive gases, acids, and alkalis. It is immune to micro biologically influenced corrosion and is physiologically inert and hypoallergenic. Titanium is virtually non-magnetic. This makes it ideal for applications where electromagnetic interference must be minimised. Pure titanium is about as strong as steel, but nearly fifty per cent lighter. When added to various alloys, its hardness, toughness and tensile strength can be increased dramatically.

Titanium is never found uncombined and occurs as an oxide in ilmenite, rutile and sphene. It is present in titanates and in many iron ores. It is present in the ash of coal, in plants, and in the human body.

Titanium is ductile only when it is free of oxygen and nitrogen (air). It melts at 1660 Centigrade (3020 Fahrenheit) and boils at 3287 Centigrade (5949 Fahrenheit). The complex process of converting titanium ore into metal has started being commercially viable in the period around 1950. The use of titanium has since then expanded by an average of eight per cent per year.

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