Titanium [Ti] (CAS-ID: 7440-32-6) locate me
An: 22 N: 26 Am: 47.867
Group No: 4  Group Name: (none)
Block: d-block  Period: 4
State: solid at 298 K
Colour: silvery metallic Classification: Metallic
Boiling Point: 3560K (3287'C)
Melting Point: 1941K (1668'C)
Density: 4.506g/cm3
Shell Structure diagram | Atomic Radius diagram
Isotopes | More Info
Discovery Information
Who: William Gregor
When: 1791
Where: England
Name Origin
Greek: titanos (Titans).
Sources
Usually occurs in the minerals ilmenite (FeTiO3) or rutile (TiO2). Also in Titaniferous magnetite, titanite (CaTiSiO5), and iron ores. The primary deposits of titanium ore are in Australia, Scandinavia, North America and Malaysia.
Uses
Titanium is well known for its excellent resistance to corrosion; it is almost as resistant as platinum, being able to withstand attack by acids, moist chlorine gas, and by common salt solutions.
Because of its high tensile strength (even at high temperatures), light weight, extraordinary corrosion resistance, and ability to withstand extreme temperatures, titanium alloys are used in aircraft, armour plating, naval ships, spacecraft and missiles. It is used in steel alloys to reduce grain size and as a deoxidizer, and in stainless steel to reduce carbon content. Titanium is often alloyed with aluminium (to refine grain size), vanadium, copper (to harden), iron, manganese, molybdenum and with other metals.
Because it is considered to be physiologically inert, the metal is used in joint replacement implants such as hip ball and sockets and to make medical equipment and in pipe/tank lining in food processing. Since titanium is non-ferromagnetic patients with titanium implants can be safely examined with magnetic resonance imaging, which makes it convenient for long term implants and surgical instruments for use in image-guided surgery.
95% of titanium production is consumend in the form of titanium dioxide (TiO2), a white pigment that covers surfaces very well, is used in paint, rubber, paper and many other materials. Also used in heat exchangers, airplane motors, bone pins and other things requiring light weight metals or metals that resist corrosion or high temperatures. Titanium oxide is used extensively in paints and in suncreens.
Due to excellent resistance to sea water, it is used to make propeller shafts and rigging and in the heat exchangers of desalination plants and in heater-chillers for salt water aquariums, and lately diver knives as well.
Titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), a colourless liquid, is used to iridize glass and because it fumes strongly in moist air it is also used to make smoke screens and in skywriting.
Notes
Pure titanium is a lustrous white metal, as strong as steel, 45% lighter, 60% heavier than aluminium, and twice as strong as steel.
Titanium is Latin and refers to the Titans, the first sons of the earth in Mythology. It was discovered by Gregor in 1791 and named by Klaproth four years later. It was nearly a hundred years later (1887) when impure titanium was first prepared by Nilson and Pettersson. About 20 years later Hunter heated Titanium Chloride TiCl4 with sodium in a steel bomb and isolated 99.6% pure titanium. It is the ninth most abundant element in the earth's crust and is also found in meteorites and in the sun. It is found in the ash of coal, in plants and even in the human body. It occurs in the minerals rutile, ilmenite and sphene.
As a compound, it is found as Titanium dioxide TiO2 in star sapphires and rubies (it is TiO2 that gives them their asterism). It is also found as titanium chloride (TiCl4).
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