Titanium: What You Should Know and Why You Should Care

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Titanium is a special metal that often flies under the radar.

Stronger than aluminum and lighter than steel, titanium has unique properties that have enabled its uses in a range of different industries like defense and medicine.

This infographic from our sponsor IperionX highlights what you need to know about titanium, from its unique properties to the metal’s uses in the modern economy. This is part one of three infographics in the Titanium 101 Series.

What makes titanium so special? Here are some of the properties that make titanium naturally superior to more common substitutes like stainless steel and aluminum:

Several industries harness titanium’s unique properties in different ways. While some rely on it for its natural resistance to corrosion, others make use of its high strength and low weight.

After titanium is mined and refined from the ground, it is primarily consumed in two forms. The majority of it, about 95% in the United States, is consumed in the form of titanium dioxide (TiO2). TiO2 is a brilliant white pigment used in everything from paints to food colorants and cosmetic products.

The remaining 5% of titanium is consumed in its metal form with highly specialized uses that also make it critical mineral for national security:

Despite its superior properties and natural edge over other metals, titanium isn’t as widespread as stainless steel and aluminum, largely due to its high costs of production.

Titanium is currently difficult and expensive to produce because it is refined using the 80-year-old Kroll process, which is both energy- and carbon-intensive.

With a lower economic and environmental cost of production, titanium’s applications could spread far beyond its current high-performance uses, potentially allowing it to challenge the massive markets for stainless steel and aluminum.

In the next part of the Titanium 101 Series sponsored by IperionX, we will further explore titanium’s potential for growth and mainstream application in the future.

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