Uses for Titanium Dioxide

Titanium is becoming more useful by the day. Once considered useless, the compound is now used regularly in medicine, sports and aerospace. Almost 97% of the titanium used around the world is in its oxide form, which creates a significant demand for the metal.

Today’s paint cannot live without titanium dioxide. In fact, today, it is the most important part – giving it the rich depth and high color, particularly whites. Lead used to fit the role titanium dioxide now plays, but was discontinued as an ingredient in paints when it was discovered that lead often caused major health complications. Today, titanium dioxide, also known as TiO2, is also used in a number of other things like crayons, sunscreens and food coloring.

Even coated ceramic tile that are designed and manufactured in countries like Japan, Germany, France, England, Scotland and Spain have TiO2, which has self-cleaning and disinfectant qualities. This special coating protects the tile and will last as long as the tile itself. The best part about it is the fact it is activated by water and UV light. There are other TiO2 applications like roof tiles that are also activated by the same UV light (sun rays).

One of the most impressive qualities of TiO2 is that it’s used to the surrounding air near vegetable, cut flowers and fruit to increase the shelf life and prevent spoilage. Its photocatalytic properties are designed to remove ethylene gases from the air, which are naturally gaseous hormones that are produced by plants that ripen vegetables and fruits.

Titanium dioxide is an important part of many aspects of life. As demand climbs more uses are found each decade for this important metal and its various forms.

Are Space and the Ocean the Future of Mining?

Raw Titanium via Titanium Metal Supply

With the demand for resources rising with each passing year, mineral prospectors are pushed to consider unusual places in the future of mining. As it stands now, mining is already a risky occupation. Miners process and move huge quantities of material in hazardous and unpleasant conditions.

Yet with the dangers present now, consider how much more extreme this profession would become if the mining ranged out to asteroids in space, or the bottom of the ocean. While the ideas seem far-fetched, there are a few pioneering companies that are making plans to explore extreme options as future mining sites.

The drive for such extreme sorts of mining is accounted for by the recent dramatic rise in the price of many metals. Supplies from conventional land-based sources are clearly dwindling. Couple this with increased demand and available supply is being outstripped.  This is true for bulk metals like nickel, copper and titanium along with precious metals like platinum and gold. Even rare earth elements like lanthanum and neodymium, which are used in modern technologies, are starting to become harder for metal supply companies to keep in stock.

As prices for these metals continue to increase, potential sources of the metals that were once dismissed as too far-fetched may now be theoretically economically viable. Estimations report that a square kilometer of sediment near Hawaii, at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean contains enough rare earths that it would meet a fifth of the annual demand globally. And it is estimated that a 500 meter-wide asteroid may yield nearly 1.5 times the understood reserves of platinum group metals.

Mineral resources that are potentially available in asteroids and on the ocean floor are incredible and could be the site of the mining industry’s future resources. At present, however, technical obstacles stand in the way of mining these available resources.  In order for more extreme resources to be taken advantage of technology will have to be developed to make mining in these exotic locations not only safe but cost effective as well.

Fact and Fiction of American Manufacturing

As of late, the manufacturing sector has seen more signs of recovery. These include surging exports, new hiring, and the “re-shoring”, or return of employment opportunities that had been moved overseas. An American manufacturing revitalization must be on the cusp, and as the industry picks up so do the stories surrounding it.

While manufacturing is returning, so are certain commonplace myths. Many of these myths are unfounded, however, or based off wrong information, including these common four misconceptions about the American manufacturing sector.

The first myth is that all manufacturing companies have the same requirements, such as access to markets and raw materials like titanium, along with low-cost labor, and an encouraging business environment. This is, in fact, a myth as manufacturing is quite diverse. Industry conditions vary quite a bit. In order for a local market to become globally innovative, much research and development is necessary.

The second myth is that the decline of American manufacturing was due to off-shoring of jobs and trade. Actually, between the years of 2000 and 2010, the disappearance of manufacturing jobs is in large part due to the outpacing of output growth as compared to productivity growth, resulting in a twenty percent decline. Additionally, falling demand along with other factors accounted for the loss of over 700,000 jobs.

Another myth is that assembly line work is required for manufacturing employment. Manufacturers investing in machinery have the goal of increasing productivity, in turn requiring less manual laborers. Thus, there is shift in the mix of job types and service-type jobs are created in this scenario. Consider the growth in marketing, engineering, IT services, trucking, etc. Manufacturing is directly linked to 4.7 million jobs in the service-sector.

The final myth is that historical peak levels in manufacturing employment can be someday returned. The 1950s saw twenty-five percent of employment in manufacturing. The United State’s growth and economic evolution seems to have fallen. However, one must realize that the sorts of jobs have changed. Rather than working a production line, better positions are opened such as high-skilled programming of robots or market opportunities.

Only time will tell how manufacturing will grow and change in the U.S. Whether the current growth is sustainable or not can only be measured in the years to come.

Titianium Grades and Their Characteristics

Raw titanium.

Titanium is one of the most versatile substances available to modern industry. Its various uses and grades mean that there is a specific type of pure titanium, or an alloy of the metal, that can be adapted for all sorts of specific purposes.

There are 10 types of titanium, counting the four pure grades along with the six alloys of the metal. Each is used in specific industrial applications for which it has been specially treated or formed. Grades one through four are the numbered pure grades of titanium.

Grade 1 is not only corrosion resistant but is the most pliable of the pure grades, making it an ideal choice for industrial uses that include any kind of tubing or plate. Industries where Grade 1 titanium is common are architecture, the medical industry, and automotive components, to name a few. Grade 2 has much in common with Grade 1 but is slightly stronger, making it an ideal candidate for airframes, power generation equipment, and many marine applications. Grades 3 and 4 are both stronger than the other pure titanium grades, but are not as commonly used. However, they have found roles in the medical, chemical, and aerospace fields.

There are six titanium allows, also known as Grades 5, 7, 11, 12, 23, and 5Al-2.5Sn. While Grade 5 is the workhorse of the alloys, and comprises more than half of all titanium used globally, grades 7 and 11 include a small amount of palladium for extra corrosion resistance. The rest of the metal’s alloys display varying profiles of strength and corrosion resistance depending upon their uses. A few of the industries that use titanium alloys include dentistry, medical surgical equipment, chemical manufacturing, sports equipment and desalination components.

The alloy known as 5Al-2.5Sn shows very high temperature stability and is able to resist cracking, even at extreme temperatures for long time spans. Two industries that make the most use of this alloy are the cryogenic field and makers of aircraft frames. Grades 2 and 5 are the most commonly used versions of the metal. Grade 2 is pure while Grade 5 is an alloy that contains trace amounts of palladium. These two grades of the metal by far account for the majority of titanium in use all over the world today.

Overall, the metal tends to exhibit good corrosion resistance, high specific strength, and low specific gravity. In addition, titanium and many titanium alloys are non-magnetic and bio-compatible, two qualities that make it especially attractive to the medical field.

What to Know About Titanium Alloys

When titanium is combined with other metals it creates a metallic material known as a titanium alloy. The other metal in the alloy is typically small amounts of aluminum, tin, palladium or vanadium. Titanium alloys are created because they give improved properties over pure titanium and are better suited for different types of work where pure titanium is not quite ideal.

The enhanced characteristics include things such as good weldability (fabricability), corrosion resisitance, along with strength and stability at elevated temperatures. Because titanium is extremely hard, it can be a challenge to shape or weld. When mixed in with another metal, however, titanium often becomes easier to work with. Numerous alloys of other metals often contain minute amounts of titanium, however these are not considered a titanium alloy unless titanium comprises the majority of the substance.

  

Thirty-eight common types of titanium alloy exist. The general mix is made up of 90% titanium, 4% vanadium, and 6% aluminum and is known as Grade 5. This Grade 5 is also known as Titanium 6AL-4V, and is suitable for military use. This titanium grade remains stable in applications up to 752 degrees Fahrenheit. It is typically used in aircraft turbines, which become very hot due to quick rotations. Titanium comes in grades 1-38, and different industries tend to rely on different grades.

Often seen as a wonder metal, titanium is extremely light as well as exceedingly strong. In fact, it is nearly twice as strong as aluminum, and about equally as strong as steel. Yet titanium is 40% lighter than aluminum and 45% lighter than steel. In addition to this, it is non-reactive with the human body, which makes it ideal for medical implants. Unfortunately, titanium’s use has been limited by its high cost, making alloys often more affordable.

The Strength of Titanium

 You’ve seen titanium in a variety of industries, from jewelry to aerospace, but why is this metal taking off in popularity? Take a look at the properties that have made titanium a go to metal since its discovery and on through to today.

The second half of the 20th century was marked by an extensive development of production of titanium. At the time, this metal was marked as having a number of advantages, including wide availability and low cost, along with unique properties. The world was predicting that titanium would have a bright future and we were right.

Previous attempts have been made to apply the metal in other areas of metalized industries, such as: shipbuilding, engine construction and so on but those attempts failed. As it turned out, titanium has no simple chemical and physical properties. In 1940, William Kroll offered to produce titanium metal in the form of a sponge, by reducing titanium tetrachloride with magnesium, but this method was very expensive and complicated. Still, in developing this metal, Kroll incorporated titanium into a multi-billion industry staple.

The advantages of this material, in terms of the aluminum-magnesium alloy, are resistance, lightness and corrosion resistance plus the thermal durability of the metal. By weight, in contrast to the other traditionally used metals, titanium is about five times lighter. Because of this, titanium is widely used in the aerospace industry as well as other industries like medical, dental, aerospace, watchmaking, implantology and many others.

As the years pass, titanium has continued to become a much needed metal, especially in certain areas like healthcare and space exploration. The continued success of this metal along with the constant need for it will make titanium a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

Aircraft Industry Uses for Titanium

Titanium has countless uses in light and heavy industrial manufacturing all over the world. Literally thousands of consumer products contain titanium. Given the metal’s widespread popularity in retail goods, it is even more important in heavy industry, especially in the construction of aircraft.

Both military and commercial airplanes use a large amount of titanium in their wings, propellers, and landing gear. Because of the metal’s amazing strength and very low weight, it is far superior to steel in every application.

Perhaps the only negative aspect of titanium use involves cost. Some experts think the price of the wonder metal will decline as it becomes ubiquitous in commerce.

Weight is of utmost concern to aircraft designers and engineers. Because titanium is so much lighter than steel, and equally as strong, it is used throughout the design of the plane, from exterior parts to dozens of engine components. If there were no titanium, the modern aircraft industry as we know it would not be able to survive.

Because titanium can withstand temperature extremes, aircraft engineers use it extensively in engine parts. Unlike steel, titanium almost never cracks or breaks and functions properly in both very high and very low temperatures.

Titanium also resists rust, which means it has yet another huge advantage over steel. Airplanes tend to gather moisture as they travel, which is why titanium parts are used extensively in a plane’s exterior components. No rust means a longer life for all the plane’s parts that contain titanium.

Titanium is present in hundreds, even thousands of consumer products, but is more vital to the aircraft industry than to any other. Aluminum and titanium are commonly paired to create an alloy substance that is extremely strong, yet cheaper than pure titanium. In the modern age of aircraft construction, there is no doubt that titanium is the most important single substance.