Titanium Plate
Titanium plates are blocks of titanium thicker than 0.25 inches in pure ore
form ready for secondary fabrication. Manufacturers who work with titanium
will begin their fabrication processes with either titanium sheeting or, for
larger quantities, titanium plates. Plates are made from ore which has already
been fabricated and reduced from its natural mineral depository form. Since
titanium never occurs in its pure form in nature, the primary fabrication process
is costly and difficult; mineral deposits containing titanium - usually
ilmenite - must be refined to titanium tetrachloride then reduced with
magnesium. What usually forms through this is a highly porous bulk, or "sponge",
which is then melted into titanium plates, ready for secondary fabrication.
Titanium offers superior strength, rigidity, and lightness compared to other
metals. Equal to steel in strength, titanium is half of steel's density
and has excellent corrosion resistance. Because of these properties, titanium
offers what is ultimately a cost-effective solution for many uses, since titanium
can hold the same amount of strength as copper, steel, brass or aluminum with
only half the material volume. Since titanium is resistant to acid, oxygen,
chloride and salt corrosion, titanium parts result in much lower maintenance
and longer product life.
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, high strength material,
titanium is used in the automotive industry for valve springs, rocker arms,
connecting rods, exhaust systems, drive shafts, steering gear and other parts.
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 include semiconductor and battery wires, chemical
and petroleum handling, agri-food, orthopedics and sporting goods equipment.
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,
while other industries continually research new possible uses for titanium.