Properties and application of titanium. Features of titanium as a metal with excellent corrosion resistance

The monument in honor of the conquerors of space was erected in Moscow in 1964. It took almost seven years (1958-1964) to design and build this obelisk. The authors had to solve not only architectural and artistic, but also technical tasks. The first of them was the choice of materials, including facing. After long experiments, they settled on titanium sheets polished to a shine.

Indeed, in many characteristics, and above all in corrosion resistance, titanium surpasses the vast majority of metals and alloys. Sometimes (especially in popular literature) titanium is called the eternal metal. But first, let's talk about the history of this element.

Oxidized or not oxidized?

Until 1795, element No. 22 was called "menakin". So called it in 1791 by the English chemist and mineralogist William Gregor, who discovered new element in the mineral menakanite (do not look for this name in modern mineralogical reference books - menakanite has also been renamed, now it is called ilmenite).

Four years after Gregor's discovery, the German chemist Martin Klaproth discovered a new chemical element in another mineral - rutile - and named it titanium in honor of the Elven queen Titania (Germanic mythology).

According to another version, the name of the element comes from the titans, the mighty sons of the goddess of the earth - Gaia (Greek mythology).

In 1797, it turned out that Gregor and Klaproth discovered the same element, and although Gregor had done this earlier, the name given to him by Klaproth was established for the new element.

But neither Gregor nor Klaproth succeeded in obtaining the elemental titanium. The white crystalline powder they isolated was titanium dioxide TiO 2 . For a long time none of the chemists succeeded in reducing this oxide, isolating pure metal from it.

In 1823, the English scientist W. Wollaston reported that the crystals he discovered in the metallurgical slags of the Merthyr Tydville plant were nothing but pure titanium. And 33 years later, the famous German chemist F. Wöhler proved that these crystals were again a titanium compound, this time a metal-like carbonitride.

For many years it was believed that metal Titanium was first obtained by Berzelius in 1825. in the reduction of potassium fluorotitanate with sodium metal. However, today, comparing the properties of titanium and the product obtained by Berzelius, it can be argued that the president of the Swedish Academy of Sciences was mistaken, because pure titabnum quickly dissolves in hydrofluoric acid (unlike many other acids), and Berzelius' metallic titanium successfully resisted its action.

In fact, Ti was first obtained only in 1875 by the Russian scientist D.K. Kirillov. The results of this work are published in his brochure Research on Titanium. But the work of a little-known Russian scientist went unnoticed. Another 12 years later pure product- about 95% of titanium - was received by Berzelius's compatriots, the famous chemists L. Nilsson and O. Peterson, who reduced titanium tetrachloride with metallic sodium in a steel hermetic bomb.

In 1895, the French chemist A. Moissan, reducing titanium dioxide with carbon in an arc furnace and subjecting the resulting material to double refining, obtained titanium containing only 2% impurities, mainly carbon. Finally, in 1910, the American chemist M. Hunter, having improved the method of Nilsson and Peterson, managed to obtain several grams of titanium with a purity of about 99%. That is why in most books the priority of obtaining metallic titanium is attributed to Hunter, and not to Kirillov, Nilson or Moissan.

However, neither Hunter nor his contemporaries predicted a great future for the titan. Only a few tenths of a percent of impurities were contained in the metal, but these impurities made titanium brittle, fragile, unsuitable for machining. Therefore, some titanium compounds found application earlier than the metal itself. Ti tetrachloride, for example, was widely used in the first world war to create smoke screens.

No. 22 in medicine

In 1908, in the USA and Norway, the production of white began not from lead and zinc compounds, as was done before, but from titanium dioxide. Such whitewash can paint a surface several times larger than the same amount of lead or zinc whitewash. In addition, titanium white has more reflectivity, they are not poisonous and do not darken under the influence of hydrogen sulfide. In the medical literature, a case is described when a person “took” 460 g of titanium dioxide at a time! (I wonder what he confused her with?) The "lover" of titanium dioxide did not experience any painful sensations. TiO 2 is part of some medicines, in particular ointments against skin diseases.

However, not medicine, but the paint and varnish industry consumes largest quantities TiO 2 . World production of this compound has far exceeded half a million tons per year. Enamels based on titanium dioxide are widely used as protective and decorative coatings for metal and wood in shipbuilding, construction and mechanical engineering. At the same time, the service life of structures and parts is significantly increased. Titanium white is used to dye fabrics, leather and other materials.

Ti in industry

Titanium dioxide is a constituent of porcelain masses, refractory glasses, and ceramic materials with a high dielectric constant. As a filler that increases strength and heat resistance, it is introduced into rubber compounds. However, all the advantages of titanium compounds seem insignificant against the background of the unique properties of pure metallic titanium.

elemental titanium

In 1925, the Dutch scientists van Arkel and de Boer obtained high purity titanium - 99.9% using the iodide method (more on that below). Unlike the titanium obtained by Hunter, it had plasticity: it could be forged in the cold, rolled into sheets, tape, wire, and even the thinnest foil. But even this is not the main thing. Studies of the physicochemical properties of metallic titanium led to almost fantastic results. It turned out, for example, that titanium, being almost twice as light as iron (the density of titanium is 4.5 g/cm3), surpasses many steels in strength. Comparison with aluminum also turned out to be in favor of titanium: titanium is only one and a half times heavier than aluminum, but it is six times stronger and, most importantly, it retains its strength at temperatures up to 500 ° C (and with the addition of alloying elements - up to 650 ° C ), while the strength of aluminum and magnesium alloys drops sharply already at 300°C.

Titanium also has significant hardness: it is 12 times harder than aluminum, 4 times harder than iron and copper. Another important characteristic of a metal is its yield strength. The higher it is, the better the details of this metal resist operational loads, the longer they retain their shape and size. The yield strength of titanium is almost 18 times higher than that of aluminum.

Unlike most metals, titanium has significant electrical resistance: if the electrical conductivity of silver is taken as 100, then the electrical conductivity of copper is 94, aluminum is 60, iron and platinum is 15, and titanium is only 3.8. It is hardly necessary to explain that this property, like the non-magnetic nature of titanium, is of interest for radio electronics and electrical engineering.

Remarkable resistance of titanium against corrosion. On a plate made of this metal for 10 years of being in sea water, there were no signs of corrosion. The main rotors of modern heavy helicopters are made of titanium alloys. Rudders, ailerons and some other critical parts of supersonic aircraft are also made of these alloys. On many chemical industries today you can find whole apparatuses and columns made of titanium.

How is titanium obtained?

Price - that's what else slows down the production and consumption of titanium. Actually, the high cost is not a congenital defect of titanium. There is a lot of it in the earth's crust - 0.63%. The still high price of titanium is a consequence of the difficulty of extracting it from ores. It is explained by the high affinity of titanium for many elements and the strength of chemical bonds in its natural compounds. Hence the complexity of the technology. This is how the magnesium-thermal method of titanium production looks like, developed in 1940 by the American scientist V. Kroll.

Titanium dioxide is converted with chlorine (in the presence of carbon) into titanium tetrachloride:

HO 2 + C + 2CI 2 → HCI 4 + CO 2.

The process takes place in shaft electric furnaces at 800-1250°C. Another option is molten salt chlorination alkali metals NaCl and KCl different ways and substances. Titanium tetrachloride under normal conditions is a liquid with a boiling point of 136°C.

It is easier to break the bond of titanium with chlorine than with oxygen. This can be done with magnesium by the reaction

TiCl 4 + 2Mg → T + 2MgCl 2 .

This reaction takes place in steel reactors at 900°C. The result is a so-called titanium sponge impregnated with magnesium and magnesium chloride. They are evaporated in a sealed vacuum apparatus at 950°C, and the titanium sponge is then sintered or melted into a compact metal.

The sodium-thermal method for obtaining metallic titanium is, in principle, not much different from the magnesium-thermal method. These two methods are the most widely used in industry. To obtain purer titanium, the iodide method proposed by van Arkel and de Boer is still used. The metallothermic titanium sponge is converted to TiI 4 iodide, which is then sublimated in vacuo. On their way, titap iodide vapor encounters titanium wire heated to 1400°C. In this case, the iodide decomposes, and a layer of pure titanium grows on the wire. This method of titanium production is inefficient and expensive; therefore, it is used in industry to a very limited extent.

Despite the labor and energy intensity of titanium production, it has already become one of the most important non-ferrous metallurgy sub-sectors. World titanium production is developing at a very fast pace. This can be judged even by the fragmentary information that gets into print.

It is known that in 1948 only 2 tons of titanium were smelted in the world, and after 9 years - already 20 thousand tons. This means that in 1957 20 thousand tons of titanium accounted for all countries, and in 1980 only the USA consumed. 24.4 thousand tons of titanium... More recently, it seems, titanium was called a rare metal - now it is the most important structural material. This is explained by only one thing: a rare combination useful properties element number 22. And, of course, the needs of technology.

The role of titanium as a structural material, the basis of high-strength alloys for aviation, shipbuilding and rocketry, is rapidly increasing. It is in alloys that most of the titanium smelted in the world goes. A widely known alloy for the aviation industry, consisting of 90% titanium, 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium. In 1976, the American press reported on a new alloy for the same purpose: 85% titanium, 10% vanadium, 3% aluminum and 2% iron. It is claimed that this alloy is not only better, but also more economical.

In general, titanium alloys include a lot of elements, up to platinum and palladium. The latter (in the amount of 0.1-0.2%) increase the already high chemical resistance of titanium alloys.

The strength of titanium is also increased by such "alloying additives" as nitrogen and oxygen. But along with strength, they increase the hardness and, most importantly, the brittleness of titanium, so their content is strictly regulated: no more than 0.15% oxygen and 0.05% nitrogen are allowed in the alloy.

Despite the fact that titanium is expensive, replacing it with cheaper materials in many cases turns out to be economically viable. Here is a typical example. Frame chemical apparatus, made of stainless steel, costs 150 rubles, and made of titanium alloy - 600 rubles. But at the same time, a steel reactor serves only 6 months, and a titanium one - 10 years. Add the cost of replacing steel reactors, the forced downtime of equipment - and it becomes obvious that using expensive titanium can be more profitable than steel.

Significant amounts of titanium are used in metallurgy. There are hundreds of grades of steels and other alloys that contain titanium as an alloying addition. It is introduced to improve the structure of metals, increase strength and corrosion resistance.

Some nuclear reactions must take place in an almost absolute void. With mercury pumps, the rarefaction can be brought up to several billionths of an atmosphere. But this is not enough, and mercury pumps are incapable of more. Further pumping of air is carried out by special titanium pumps. In addition, to achieve even greater rarefaction, fine titanium is sprayed onto the inner surface of the chamber where the reactions take place.

Titanium is often called the metal of the future. The facts that science and technology already have at their disposal convince us that this is not entirely true - titanium has already become the metal of the present.

Perovskite and sphene. Ilmenite - iron metatitanate FeTiO 3 - contains 52.65% TiO 2. The name of this mineral is due to the fact that it was found in the Urals in the Ilmensky mountains. The largest placers of ilmenite sands are found in India. Another important mineral, rutile, is titanium dioxide. Titanomagnetites are also of industrial importance - a natural mixture of ilmenite with iron minerals. There are rich deposits of titanium ores in the USSR, USA, India, Norway, Canada, Australia and other countries. Not so long ago, geologists discovered a new titanium-containing mineral in the Northern Baikal region, which was named landauite in honor of the Soviet physicist Academician L. D. Landau. In total, more than 150 significant ore and placer titanium deposits are known on the globe.

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PerfectMetall buys, along with other metals, titanium scrap. Any scrap metal collection points of the company will accept titanium, titanium alloy products, titanium shavings, etc. from you. Where does titanium get to scrap metal collection points? Everything is very simple, this metal has found very wide application both for industrial purposes and in human life. Today, this metal is used in the construction of space and military rockets, a lot of it is also used in aircraft construction. Titanium is used to build strong and light ships. The chemical industry, jewelry, not to mention the very wide use of titanium in medical industry. And all this is due to the fact that titanium and its alloys have a number of unique properties.

Titanium - description and properties

The earth's crust, as is known, is saturated with a numerous number of chemical elements. Among the most common among them is titanium. We can say that it is in the 10th place in the TOP of the most common chemical elements of the Earth. Titanium is a silver-white metal, resistant to many aggressive environments, not subject to oxidation in a number of powerful acids, the only exceptions are hydrofluoric, orthophosphoric sulfuric acid in high concentration. Titanium in its pure form is relatively young, it was obtained only in 1925.

The oxide film that covers titanium in its pure form serves as a very reliable protection of this metal from corrosion. Titanium is also valued for its low thermal conductivity, for comparison - titanium conducts heat 13 times worse than aluminum, but with the conductivity of electricity, the opposite is true - titanium has much greater resistance. Yet the most important distinguishing feature of titanium is its colossal strength. Again, if we compare it now with pure iron, then titanium is twice its strength!

Titanium alloys

Titanium alloys also have outstanding properties, among which, as you might have guessed, strength is in the first place. As a structural material, titanium is inferior in strength only to beryllium alloys. However, an indisputable advantage of titanium alloys is their high resistance to abrasion and wear and, at the same time, sufficient ductility.

Titanium alloys are resistant to a wide range of active acids, salts, hydroxides. These alloys are not afraid of high-temperature effects, which is why turbines are made from titanium and its alloys. jet engines, and indeed are widely used in rocket science and the aviation industry.

Where is titanium used

Titanium is used where a very strong material is needed, with maximum resistance to corrosion. various types negative impact. For example, in chemical industry titanium alloys are used for the production of pumps, tanks and pipelines for the transportation of aggressive liquids. In medicine, titanium is used for prosthetics and has excellent biological compatibility with the human body. In addition, an alloy of titanium and nickel - nitinol - has a "memory", which allows it to be used in orthopedic surgery. In metallurgy, titanium serves as an alloying element, which is introduced into the composition of some types of steel.

Due to the preservation of plasticity and strength under the influence of low temperatures, the metal is used in cryogenic technology. In aircraft and rocket manufacturing, titanium is valued for its heat resistance, and its alloy with aluminum and vanadium is the most widely used here: it is from it that parts for hulls are made. aircraft and jet engines.

In turn, in shipbuilding, titanium alloys are used to manufacture metal products with increased corrosion resistance. But besides its industrial use, titanium is used as a raw material for jewelry and accessories, as it lends itself well to processing methods such as polishing or anodizing. In particular, hulls are cast from it wrist watch and jewelry.

Titanium has been widely used in the composition of various compounds. For example, titanium dioxide is used in paints, used in the production of paper and plastic, and titanium nitride acts as a protective coating for tools. Despite the fact that titanium is called the metal of the future, this stage its scope is seriously limited by the high cost of obtaining.

Table 1

Chemical composition of industrial titanium alloys.
alloy type	Alloy grade	Chemical composition, % (the rest is Ti)
alloy type	Alloy grade	Al	V	Mo	Mn	Cr	Si	Other elements
a	BT5 BT5-1	4,3-6,2 4,5-6,0	— —	— —	— —	— —	— —	— 2-3Sn
Pseudo-a	OT4-0 OT4-1 OT4 BT20 WT18	0,2-1,4 1,0-2,5 3,5-5,0 6,0-7,5 7,2-8,2	— — — 0,8-1,8 —	— — — 0,5-2,0 0,2-1,0	0,2-1,3 0,7-2,0 0,8-2,0 — —	— — — — —	— — — — 0,18-0,5	— — — 1.5-2.5Zr 0.5-1.5Nb 10-12Zr
a+b	VT6S BT6 BT8 BT9 VT3-1 BT14 BT16 BT22	5,0-6,5 5,5-7,0 6,0-7,3 5,8-7,0 5,5-7,0 4,5-6,3 1,6-3,0 4,0-5,7	3,5-4,5 4,2-6,0 — — — 0,9-1,9 4,0-5,0 4,0-5,5	— — 2,8-3,8 2,8-3,8 2,0-3,0 2,5-3,8 4,5-5,5 4,5-5,0	— — — — — — — —	— — — — 1,0-2,5 — — 0,5-2,0	— — 0,20-0,40 0,20-0,36 0,15-0,40 — — —	— — — 0.8-2.5Zr 0.2-0.7Fe — — 0.5-1.5Fe
b	BT15	2,3-3,6	—	6,8-8,0	—	9,5-11,0	—	1.0Zr

Titanium- one of the mysterious, little-studied macronutrients in science and human life. Although it is not in vain called the "cosmic" element, because. it is actively used in the advanced branches of science, technology, medicine and in many other ways - this is an element of the future.

This metal is silver gray in color (see photo), insoluble in water. He has a small chemical density, so he is characterized by lightness. At the same time, it is very strong and easy to process due to its fusibility and ductility. The element is chemically inert due to the presence of a protective film on the surface. Titanium is not combustible, but its dust is explosive.

The discovery of this chemical element belongs to the great lover of minerals, the Englishman William MacGregor. But titanium still owes its name to the chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth, who discovered it independently of McGregor.

Assumptions about the reasons why this metal was called "titanium" are romantic. According to one version, the name is associated with the ancient Greek gods Titans, whose parents were the god Uranus and the goddess Gaia, but according to the second, it comes from the name of the queen of the fairies - Titania.

Be that as it may, this macronutrient is the ninth most found in nature. It is part of the tissues of representatives of flora and fauna. There is a lot of it in sea water (up to 7%), but in the soil it contains only 0.57%. China is the richest in titanium reserves, followed by Russia.

Titan action

The action of a macroelement on the body is due to its physicochemical properties. Its particles are very small, they can penetrate the cell structure and affect its work. It is believed that due to its inertness, the macronutrient does not interact chemically with irritants, and therefore is not toxic. However, it enters into contact with the cells of tissues, organs, blood, lymph through physical action, which leads to their mechanical damage. Thus, an element can, by its action, damage single- and double-stranded DNA, damage chromosomes, which can lead to a risk of developing cancer and a malfunction in the genetic code.

It turned out that macronutrient particles are not able to pass through the skin. Therefore, they get inside a person only with food, water and air.

Titanium is better absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract (1-3%), but only about 1% is absorbed through the respiratory tract, but its content in the body is concentrated as in the lungs (30%). What is it connected with? After analyzing all the above figures, we can come to several conclusions. First, titanium is generally poorly absorbed by the body. Secondly, through the gastrointestinal tract, titanium is excreted through feces (0.52 mg) and urine (0.33 mg), but in the lungs such a mechanism is weak or completely absent, since with age in a person, the concentration of titanium in this organ increases almost 100 times. What is the reason for such a high concentration with such a weak absorption? Most likely, this is due to the constant attack on our body of dust, in which there is always a titanium component. In addition, in this case, it is necessary to take into account our ecology and the availability of industrial facilities near settlements.

Compared with the lungs, in other organs, such as the spleen, adrenal glands, thyroid gland, the content of the macronutrient remains unchanged throughout life. Also, the presence of the element is observed in the lymph, placenta, brain, female breast milk, bones, nails, hair, lens of the eye, epithelial tissues.

Being in the bones, titanium is involved in their fusion after fractures. Also, a positive effect is observed in the regenerative processes occurring in damaged movable bone joints in arthritis and arthrosis. This metal is a strong antioxidant. Weakening the action of free radicals on skin and blood cells, it protects the entire body from premature aging and wear.

Concentrating in the parts of the brain responsible for vision and hearing, it positively affects their functioning. The presence of the metal in the adrenal glands and the thyroid gland implies its participation in the production of hormones involved in metabolism. It is also involved in the production of hemoglobin, the production of red blood cells. By reducing the content of cholesterol and urea in the blood, it monitors its normal composition.

The negative effect of titanium on the body is due to the fact that it is a heavy metal. Once in the body, it does not split and does not decompose, but settles in the organs and tissues of a person, poisoning it and interfering with vital processes. It does not corrode and is resistant to alkalis and acids, so gastric juice is not able to act on it.

Titanium compounds have the ability to block short-wave ultraviolet radiation and are not absorbed through the skin, so they can be used to protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation.

It has been proven that smoking increases the intake of metal into the lungs from the air many times over. Isn't that a reason to quit bad habit!

Daily rate - what is the need for a chemical element?

The daily norm of a macronutrient is due to the fact that the human body contains approximately 20 mg of titanium, of which 2.4 mg is in the lungs. Every day, the body acquires 0.85 mg of the substance with food, 0.002 mg with water, and 0.0007 mg with air. The daily rate for titanium is very conditional, since the consequences of its influence on organs have not been fully studied. Approximately, it is about 300-600 mcg per day. There are no clinical data on the consequences of exceeding this norm - everything is at the stage of pilot studies.

lack of titanium

Conditions in which a lack of metal would be observed have not been identified, so scientists have come to the conclusion that they do not exist in nature. But its deficiency is observed in most serious diseases, which can worsen the patient's condition. This disadvantage can be removed with titanium-containing preparations.

The effect of excess titanium on the body

An excess of the macroelement of a one-time intake of titanium into the body was not detected. If, suppose, a person swallowed a titanium pin, then, apparently, there is no need to talk about poisoning. Most likely, due to its inertness, the element will not come into contact, but will be removed naturally.

A great danger is caused by a systematic increase in the concentration of the macroelement in the respiratory system. This leads to damage to the respiratory and lymphatic systems. There is also a direct relationship between the degree of silicosis and the content of the element in the respiratory system. The higher its content, the more severe the disease.

Excess heavy metal observed in people working in chemical and metallurgical enterprises. Titanium chloride is the most dangerous - in 3 working years, the manifestation of severe chronic diseases begins.

Such diseases are treated with special drugs and vitamins.

What are the sources?

The element enters the human body mainly with food and water. Most of all it is in legumes (peas, beans, lentils, beans) and cereals (rye, barley, buckwheat, oats). Its presence was revealed in dairy and meat dishes, as well as in eggs. Plants contain more of this element than animals. Its content is especially high in algae - bushy cladophora.

All food products containing E171 food coloring contain this metal dioxide. It is used in the manufacture of sauces and seasonings. The harm of this additive is in question, since titanium oxide is practically insoluble in water and gastric juice.

Indications for use

There are indications for the use of the element, despite the fact that this cosmic element is still little studied, it is actively used in all areas of medicine. Due to its strength, corrosion resistance and biological inertness, it is widely used in the field of prosthetics for the manufacture of implants. It is used in dentistry, neurosurgery, orthopedics. Due to its durability, surgical instruments are made from it.

Dioxide of this substance is used in the treatment of skin diseases such as cheilitis, herpes, acne, inflammation of the oral mucosa. They remove the hemangioma of the face.

Metal nickelide is involved in the elimination of locally advanced cancer of the larynx. It is used for endoprosthesis replacement of the larynx and trachea. It is also used to treat infected wounds in combination with antibiotic solutions.

The macronutrient glycerosolvate aquacomplex promotes the healing of ulcerative wounds.

Many opportunities are open for scientists around the world to study the element of the future, since its physico-chemical properties are high and can bring unlimited benefits to humanity.

Titanium occupies the 4th place in terms of distribution in production, but an effective technology for its extraction was developed only in the 40s of the last century. It is a silver-colored metal, characterized by a low specific gravity and unique characteristics. To analyze the degree of distribution in industry and other areas, it is necessary to voice the properties of titanium and the scope of its alloys.

Main characteristics

The metal has a low specific gravity - only 4.5 g/cm³. Anti-corrosion properties are due to a stable oxide film formed on the surface. Due to this quality, titanium does not change its properties during prolonged exposure to water, hydrochloric acid. Damaged areas do not occur due to stress, which is the main problem of steel.

In its pure form, titanium has the following qualities and characteristics:

nominal melting point — 1660°С;
under thermal influence +3 227 ° С boils;
tensile strength - up to 450 MPa;
characterized by a low elasticity index - up to 110.25 GPa;
on the HB scale, the hardness is 103;
the yield strength is one of the most optimal among metals - up to 380 MPa;
thermal conductivity of pure titanium without additives - 16.791 W / m * C;
minimum coefficient of thermal expansion;
this element is a paramagnet.

For comparison, the strength of this material is 2 times that of pure iron and 4 times that of aluminum. Titanium also has two polymorphic phases - low-temperature and high-temperature.

For industrial needs, pure titanium is not used because of its high cost and required performance. To increase the rigidity, oxides, hybrids and nitrides are added to the composition. Rarely change the characteristics of the material to improve corrosion resistance. The main types of additives for obtaining alloys: steel, nickel, aluminum. In some cases, it performs the functions of an additional component.

Areas of use

Due to its low specific gravity and strength parameters, titanium is widely used in the aviation and space industries. It is used as the main structural material in its pure form. In special cases, by reducing the heat resistance, cheaper alloys are made. At the same time, its corrosion resistance and mechanical strength remain unchanged.

In addition, the material with titanium additives has found application in the following areas:

Chemical industry. Its resistance to almost all aggressive media, except for organic acids, makes it possible to produce sophisticated equipment with good maintenance-free service life.
Production Vehicle. The reason is the low specific gravity and mechanical strength. Frames or load-bearing structural elements are made from it.
The medicine. For special purposes, a special alloy nitinol (titanium and nickel) is used. Its distinguishing feature is shape memory. To reduce the burden on patients and minimize the likelihood of negative effects on the body, many medical splints and similar devices are made of titanium.
In industry, metal is used for the manufacture of cases and individual elements of equipment.
Titanium jewelry has a unique look and feel.

In most cases, the material is processed in the factory. But there are a number of exceptions - knowing the properties of this material, part of the work on changing appearance products and their characteristics can be made in the home workshop.

Processing Features

To give the product the desired shape, it is necessary to use special equipment - turning and milling machine. Manual cutting or milling of titanium is not possible due to its hardness. In addition to the choice of power and other characteristics of the equipment, it is necessary to choose the right cutting tools: milling cutters, cutters, reamers, drills, etc.

This takes into account the following nuances:

Titanium shavings are highly flammable. It is necessary to force cooling the surface of the part and work at minimum speeds.
The bending of the product is carried out only after the preliminary heating of the surface. Otherwise, cracks are likely to appear.
Welding. Special conditions must be observed.

Titanium is a unique material with good performance and technical properties. But for its processing, you should know the specifics of the technology, and most importantly, safety precautions.

The main part of titanium is spent on the needs of aviation and rocket technology and marine shipbuilding. It, as well as ferrotitanium, is used as an alloying additive to high-quality steels and as a deoxidizer. Technical titanium is used for the manufacture of tanks, chemical reactors, pipelines, fittings, pumps, valves and other products operating in aggressive environments. Grids and other parts of electrovacuum devices operating at high temperatures are made from compact titanium.

In terms of use as a structural material, Ti is in 4th place, second only to Al, Fe, and Mg. Titanium aluminides are very resistant to oxidation and heat-resistant, which in turn determined their use in aviation and automotive industry as structural materials. The biological safety of this metal makes it an excellent material for Food Industry and reconstructive surgery.

Titanium and its alloys are widely used in engineering due to their high mechanical strength, which is maintained at high temperatures, corrosion resistance, heat resistance, specific strength, low density and other useful properties. The high cost of this metal and materials based on it is in many cases compensated by their greater efficiency, and in some cases they are the only raw material from which it is possible to manufacture equipment or structures capable of operating under given specific conditions.

Titanium alloys play an important role in aviation technology, where the aim is to obtain the lightest design combined with the required strength. Ti is light compared to other metals, but at the same time it can work at high temperatures. Ti-based materials are used to make skin, fastening parts, power pack, chassis parts, and various units. Also, these materials are used in the construction of aircraft jet engines. This allows you to reduce their weight by 10-25%. Titanium alloys are used to produce disks and blades of compressors, parts of air intakes and guides in engines, and various fasteners.

Another area of application is rocket science. In view of the short-term operation of the engines and the rapid passage of dense layers of the atmosphere in rocket science, the problems of fatigue strength, static endurance, and partly creep are largely removed.

Due to insufficiently high thermal strength, technical titanium is not suitable for use in aviation, but due to its exceptionally high corrosion resistance, in some cases it is indispensable in the chemical industry and shipbuilding. So it is used in the manufacture of compressors and pumps for pumping such aggressive media as sulfuric and hydrochloric acid and their salts, pipelines, valves, autoclaves, various containers, filters, etc. Only Ti has corrosion resistance in such media as wet chlorine, aqueous and acidic chlorine solutions, therefore, equipment for the chlorine industry is made from this metal. It is also used to make heat exchangers operating in corrosive environments, for example, in nitric acid (not fuming). In shipbuilding, titanium is used for the manufacture of propellers, ship plating, submarines, torpedoes, etc. Shells do not stick to this material, which sharply increase the resistance of the vessel during its movement.

Titanium alloys are promising for use in many other applications, but their use in technology is constrained by the high cost and insufficient prevalence of this metal.

Titanium compounds are also widely used in various industries. Carbide (TiC) has a high hardness and is used in the manufacture of cutting tools and abrasives. White dioxide (TiO 2 ) is used in paints (eg titanium white) as well as in the production of paper and plastics. Organotitanium compounds (for example, tetrabutoxytitanium) are used as a catalyst and hardener in the chemical and paint industries. Ti inorganic compounds are used in the chemical, electronic, glass fiber industry as an additive. Diboride (TiB 2) is an important component of superhard metalworking materials. Nitride (TiN) is used to coat tools.