Titanium Manufacturers

Titanium Manufacturers

Titanium manufacturers work in a specialized field, as titanium has different properties than most other metals and requires special equipment and expertise. Since titanium never occurs in pure form naturally, a manufacturer working with titanium in its natural form will have a long and highly specialized process of extracting titanium tetrachloride and reducing it to pure titanium. Titanium usually occurs in mineral deposits in the form of ilmenite and is extracted most often using the Kroll method, which involves reducing titanium tetrachloride with magnesium. This reduction yields a raw and highly porous ore, which is called a “sponge” and pressed or melted into blocks for fabrication.

Even titanium forgers and primary fabricators have a bigger challenge working with titanium. When titanium is heated above a certain temperature it reacts with oxygen and either absorbs the oxide and changes its chemistry or becomes explosive, therefore forging and forming titanium can also be difficult and costly. To increase titanium’s natural qualities of strength, low density, ductility and heat transference, titanium manufacturers often alloy titanium with various metals to create a hybrid of properties.

Titanium is being used for an ever-widening array of applications in many fields. Aquarium, naval and other saltwater industries often use titanium for underwater parts due to its resistance to erosion, stress, microbiological corrosion and pitting. Because it is such a lightweight material with high strength, titanium is used in the automotive industry for valve springs, rocker arms, connecting rods, exhaust systems, drive shafts, steering gear, etc. Racing specifically uses titanium to increase vehicular speed. Surgical and dental industries use titanium instruments to decrease the chance of allergic metal reactions, and many kinds of prosthesis are manufactured from pure titanium which does not contaminate or corrode in the body. The aerospace industry uses titanium quite extensively for jet engines, missiles and spacecrafts.

Other uses for titanium, titanium oxide and titanium alloys include semiconductor and battery wires, chemical and petroleum handling, agri-food, orthopedics, sporting goods equipment, paint, toothpaste, paper, plastics, cement, jewelry and gem fabrication. Once processed into an ore, titanium is relatively easy to fabricate and extremely useful, which is why many industries choose titanium even at a higher cost, continually researching new possible uses for titanium.

Titanium Manufacturers Image Provided by Western Titanium