Titanium and its alloys are increasing in popularity in many industries due to its many desirable properties.

Titanium is a lustrous silver-white metal that exhibits allotropy. Allotropy, or dimorphism, is when an element occurs in two or more crystalline or molecular structural forms within the same element. Below 883°C it has a hexagonal crystalline structure (alpha stage), but above 883°C it slowly changes to a cubic crystalline structure (beta phase).

It is light, strong, easily fabricated metal with low density. It is quite ductile when pure and malleable when heated. It has a relatively high melting point and is the only element that burns in pure nitrogen gas (at 800°C). Titanium and its alloys are light in weight and have a very high tensile strength even at high temperatures. Titanium is as strong as steel, but 45% lighter and twice as strong as Aluminum. Titanium also has a special quality about it because of its unique reaction when exposed to oxygen (). It creates a surface oxide film coating when exposed to oxygen, which gives it such good resistance to corrosive materials even at high temperatures. This film coating can instantaneously heal itself if damaged. This is the reason why titanium and titanium alloys are extremely corrosion resistant and can be used without painting because it does not rust or corrode like steel or aluminum. Even sulfuric, hydrochloric, and most organic acids along with chlorine find titanium resistant to dilution.

Titanium also has elongation numbers of 20-30%, which is much higher than steel's 6-15% or aluminum's 6-12%. As a general rule, the lower the elongation number, the more brittle and breakable the material is. The reverse is also true. The higher the elongation number, the stronger the material is. Looking at titanium's elongation numbers, you can see that titanium has a much higher percentage and has a better tendency to bend or stretch before it will actually break.

Titanium also reacts significantly to cold working. Cold working is the process of manipulating the shape of the metal at room temperature. You may think that this process may weaken the material but it is just the opposite. By cold-working titanium you can increase the strength and stiffness of the product.


Characteristics of Titanium:

		Melting Point: 1660°C (about 3020°F)
		Boiling Point: 3287°C (about 5949°F)
		Specific Gravity: 4.5
		Valence: +2, +3, +4
		Symbol: Ti (#22 on the periodic chart of elements)
		Atomic Weight: 47.88
		Color: Dark Grey
		Density: 7.13 grams/cm³
		Hardness: 70-74HRB
		Elongation: 20-30%
		Tensile Strength: 100-130 KSI
		Stiffness: 15 million lbs/inch²

Other Titanium Properties:

		Low Density (Roughly half the weight of steel, nickel, and copper alloys)
		High Strength-to-Weight Ratio
		Extremely Erosion and Corrosion Resistance (Superior resistance to chlorides, seawater, and most metallic acids)
		Elevated Strength-to-Density Ratio (High Structural Efficiency)
		Excellent Elevated Temperature Properties (Up to 600°C)
		High Melting Point
		Excellent Fatigue Strength (Doesn't succumb to fatigue after many repetitious actions or forces)
		High Fracture Toughness
		Low Modulus of Elasticity
		High Intrinsic Shock Resistance
		Essentially Non-magnetic
		Nontoxic, Non-allergenic and Fully Biocompatible
		Extremely Thin, Conductive Oxide Surface Film
		Distinguishing color along with a natural resistance surface damage