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.

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.