Titanium material characteristics. Titanium metal. interesting facts about titanium

  • 19.05.2020

Titanium in the form of oxide (IV) was discovered by the English amateur mineralogist W. Gregor in 1791 in the magnetic ferrous sands of the town of Menakan (England); in 1795, the German chemist M. G. Klaproth established that the mineral rutile is a natural oxide of the same metal, which he called "titanium" [in Greek mythology, titans are the children of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaia (Earth)]. It was not possible to isolate titanium in its pure form for a long time; only in 1910 did the American scientist M. A. Hunter obtain metallic titanium by heating its chloride with sodium in a sealed steel bomb; the metal he obtained was ductile only at elevated temperatures and brittle at room temperature due to the high content of impurities. The opportunity to study the properties of pure titanium appeared only in 1925, when the Dutch scientists A. Van Arkel and I. de Boer obtained a high-purity metal plastic at low temperatures by the thermal dissociation of titanium iodide.

Distribution of Titanium in nature. Titanium is one of the common elements, its average content in the earth's crust (clarke) is 0.57% by weight (among structural metals, it occupies the 4th place in terms of prevalence, behind iron, aluminum and magnesium). Most of all Titanium is in the basic rocks of the so-called "basalt shell" (0.9%), less in the rocks of the "granite shell" (0.23%) and even less in ultrabasic rocks (0.03%), etc. To rocks , enriched with Titanium, include pegmatites of basic rocks, alkaline rocks, syenites and associated pegmatites, and others. There are 67 known minerals Titanium, mostly of igneous origin; the most important are rutile and ilmenite.

Titanium is mostly dispersed in the biosphere. In sea water it contains 10 -7%; Titan is a weak migrant.

Physical properties of titanium. Titanium exists in the form of two allotropic modifications: below a temperature of 882.5 °C, the α-form with a hexagonal close-packed lattice is stable (a = 2.951Å, c = 4.679Å), and above this temperature, the β-form with a cubic body-centered lattice a = 3.269 Å. Impurities and dopants can significantly change the α/β transformation temperature.

The density of the α-form at 20°C is 4.505 g/cm 3 , and at 870°C 4.35 g/cm 3 ; β-forms at 900°C 4.32 g/cm 3 ; atomic radius Ti 1.46 Å, ionic radii Ti + 0.94 A, Ti 2+ 0.78 Å, Ti 3+ 0.69 Å, Ti 4+ 0.64 Å; Tmelt 1668°C, Tbp 3227°C; thermal conductivity in the range of 20-25°C 22.065 W/(m K); temperature coefficient of linear expansion at 20°С 8.5·10 -6 , in the range of 20-700°С 9.7·10 -6 ; heat capacity 0.523 kJ/(kg K); electrical resistivity 42.1 10 -6 ohm cm at 20 °C; temperature coefficient of electrical resistance 0.0035 at 20 °C; has superconductivity below 0.38 K. Titanium is paramagnetic, specific magnetic susceptibility is 3.2·10 -6 at 20 °C. Tensile strength 256 MN / m 2 (25.6 kgf / mm 2), relative elongation 72%, Brinell hardness less than 1000 MN / m 2 (100 kgf / mm 2). The modulus of normal elasticity is 108,000 MN / m 2 (10,800 kgf / mm 2). Metal of high purity forging at normal temperature.

Technical titanium used in industry contains impurities of oxygen, nitrogen, iron, silicon and carbon, which increase its strength, reduce ductility and affect the temperature of polymorphic transformation, which occurs in the range of 865-920 °C. For technical titanium grades VT1-00 and VT1-0 density is about 4.32 g/cm 3 , tensile strength 300-550 MN/m 2 (30-55kgf/mm 2), relative elongation not less than 25%, Brinell hardness 1150 -1650 MN / m 2 (115-165 kgf / mm 2). The configuration of the outer electron shell of the Ti atom is 3d 2 4s 2 .

Chemical properties of titanium. Pure Titanium is a chemically active transition element; in compounds it has oxidation states of +4, less often +3 and +2. At ordinary temperatures and up to 500-550 ° C, it is corrosion resistant, which is explained by the presence of a thin but strong oxide film on its surface.

It noticeably interacts with atmospheric oxygen at temperatures above 600 ° C with the formation of TiO 2. Thin titanium chips with insufficient lubrication can catch fire during machining. With a sufficient concentration of oxygen in the environment and damage to the oxide film by impact or friction, it is possible for the metal to ignite at room temperature and in relatively large pieces.

The oxide film does not protect titanium in the liquid state from further interaction with oxygen (unlike, for example, aluminum), and therefore its melting and welding must be carried out in a vacuum, in an atmosphere of neutral gas or submerged. Titanium has the ability to absorb atmospheric gases and hydrogen, forming brittle alloys unsuitable for practical use; in the presence of an activated surface, hydrogen absorption occurs even at room temperature at a low rate, which increases significantly at 400 °C and above. The solubility of hydrogen in titanium is reversible and this gas can be removed almost completely by vacuum annealing. Titanium reacts with nitrogen at temperatures above 700 °C, and nitrides of the TiN type are obtained; in the form of a fine powder or wire, titanium can burn in a nitrogen atmosphere. The rate of diffusion of nitrogen and oxygen in Titan is much lower than that of hydrogen. The layer obtained as a result of interaction with these gases is characterized by increased hardness and brittleness and must be removed from the surface of titanium products by etching or machining. Titanium reacts vigorously with dry halogens and is stable with respect to wet halogens, since moisture plays the role of an inhibitor.

The metal is stable in nitric acid of all concentrations (with the exception of red fuming acid, which causes corrosion cracking of Titanium, and the reaction sometimes goes with an explosion), in weak solutions of sulfuric acid (up to 5% by weight). Hydrochloric, hydrofluoric, concentrated sulfuric, as well as hot organic acids: oxalic, formic and trichloroacetic acids react with titanium.

Titanium is corrosion resistant in atmospheric air, sea water and the sea atmosphere, in wet chlorine, chlorine water, hot and cold chloride solutions, in various technological solutions and reagents used in the chemical, oil, paper and other industries, as well as in hydrometallurgy. Titanium forms metal-like compounds with C, B, Se, Si, which are characterized by refractory and high hardness. TiC carbide (melt t 3140 °C) is obtained by heating a mixture of TiO 2 with soot at 1900-2000 °C in a hydrogen atmosphere; nitride TiN (t pl 2950 °C) - by heating titanium powder in nitrogen at a temperature above 700 °C. Silicides TiSi 2 , TiSi and borides TiB, Ti 2 B 5 , TiB 2 are known. At a temperature of 400-600 °C, titanium absorbs hydrogen with the formation of solid solutions and hydrides (TiH, TiH 2). When TiO 2 is fused with alkalis, titanium acid salts of meta- and orthotitanates (for example, Na 2 TiO 3 and Na 4 TiO 4), as well as polytitanates (for example, Na 2 Ti 2 O 5 and Na 2 Ti 3 O 7) are formed. Titanates include the most important minerals of Titanium, for example, ilmenite FeTiO 3 , perovskite CaTiO 3 . All titanates are slightly soluble in water. Titanium (IV) oxide, titanic acids (precipitates), and titanates are dissolved in sulfuric acid to form solutions containing titanyl sulfate TiOSO 4 . When the solutions are diluted and heated, H 2 TiO 3 precipitates as a result of hydrolysis, from which titanium (IV) oxide is obtained. When hydrogen peroxide is added to acidic solutions containing Ti (IV) compounds, peroxide (pertitanic) acids of the composition H 4 TiO 5 and H 4 TiO 8 and their corresponding salts are formed; these compounds are colored yellow or orange-red (depending on the concentration of Titanium), which is used for the analytical determination of Titanium.

Getting a Titan. The most common method for obtaining metallic titanium is the magnesium-thermal method, that is, the reduction of titanium tetrachloride with metallic magnesium (less commonly, sodium):

TiCl 4 + 2Mg \u003d Ti + 2MgCl 2.

In both cases, titanium oxide ores - rutile, ilmenite and others - serve as the initial raw material. In the case of ores of the ilmenite type, titanium in the form of slag is separated from iron by smelting in electric furnaces. The slag (as well as rutile) is subjected to chlorination in the presence of carbon to form titanium tetrachloride, which, after purification, enters the reduction reactor with a neutral atmosphere.

Titanium is obtained in this process in a spongy form and, after grinding, is remelted in vacuum arc furnaces into ingots with the introduction of alloying additives, if an alloy is required. The magnesium-thermal method makes it possible to create a large-scale industrial production of titanium with a closed technological cycle, since the by-product formed during the reduction - magnesium chloride is sent to electrolysis to obtain magnesium and chlorine.

In a number of cases, it is advantageous to use powder metallurgy methods for the production of articles from titanium and its alloys. To obtain particularly fine powders (for example, for radio electronics), reduction of titanium (IV) oxide with calcium hydride can be used.

Application of Titanium. The main advantages of Titanium over other structural metals: a combination of lightness, strength and corrosion resistance. Titanium alloys in absolute, and even more so in specific strength (i.e., strength related to density) surpass most alloys based on other metals (for example, iron or nickel) at temperatures from -250 to 550 ° C, and they are corrosive comparable to noble metal alloys. However, titanium began to be used as an independent structural material only in the 50s of the 20th century due to the great technical difficulties of its extraction from ores and processing (that is why titanium was conventionally classified as a rare metal). The main part of Titanium is spent on the needs of aviation and rocket technology and marine shipbuilding. Alloys of titanium with iron, known as "ferrotitanium" (20-50% titanium), in the metallurgy of high-quality steels and special alloys serve as an alloying additive and deoxidizer.

Technical Titanium is used to manufacture tanks, chemical reactors, pipelines, fittings, pumps and other products operating in aggressive environments, for example, in chemical engineering. Titanium equipment is used in the hydrometallurgy of non-ferrous metals. It is used to cover steel products. The use of titanium in many cases gives a great technical and economic effect, not only due to an increase in the service life of equipment, but also the possibility of intensifying processes (as, for example, in nickel hydrometallurgy). The biological safety of titanium makes it an excellent material for the manufacture of equipment for Food Industry and in reconstructive surgery. Under conditions of deep cold, the strength of Titanium increases while maintaining good ductility, which makes it possible to use it as a structural material for cryogenic technology. Titanium lends itself well to polishing, color anodizing, and other surface finishing methods, and therefore is used for the manufacture of various artistic products, including monumental sculpture. An example is the monument in Moscow, erected in honor of the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite. From titanium compounds practical value have oxides, halides, as well as silicides used in high temperature technology; borides and their alloys used as moderators in nuclear power plants due to their refractoriness and large neutron capture cross section. Titanium carbide, which has a high hardness, is part of the tool hard alloys used for the manufacture of cutting tools and as an abrasive material.

Titanium oxide (IV) and barium titanate serve as the basis for titanium ceramics, and barium titanate is the most important ferroelectric.

Titanium in the body. Titanium is constantly present in the tissues of plants and animals. In terrestrial plants, its concentration is about 10 -4%, in marine plants - from 1.2 10 -3 to 8 10 -2%, in the tissues of terrestrial animals - less than 2 10 -4%, marine - from 2 10 -4 to 2 10 -2%. Accumulates in vertebrates mainly in horny formations, spleen, adrenal glands, thyroid gland, placenta; poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. In humans, the daily intake of Titanium with food and water is 0.85 mg; excreted in the urine and feces (0.33 and 0.52 mg, respectively).

Space metal, the material of the future, turning a dream into reality - it's all about titanium, silvery white, strong and light. Occupying the ninth place in terms of prevalence in nature, it has proven itself in the aerospace and petrochemical industries, mechanical engineering and medicine. The miracle metal was even discovered in an unusual way, and the study of its properties helped humanity reach a new level of development.

History of metal discovery

It all started in 1791, when, independently of each other, at the same time W. Gregor (England) and M. G. Klaproth (Germany) received titanium dioxide, but failed to isolate a pure substance from it. The mineralogist and, part-time, the village priest Gregor studied the black ferruginous sand found in the vicinity of his parish. The result was the extraction of a titanium compound - shiny grains, which the name "menakin" (from the mineral menakanite) immortalized the native places of the Englishman.

Around the same time, the chemist Klaproth, studying red sands brought from Hungary, found a new substance in the mineral rutile and called it "titanium". And, a few years later, he proved that rutile and menaken earth are the same compounds. In 1825, the Swedish chemist Berzelius obtained the first sample of metallic titanium, but this did not allow progress in the study of properties, since impurities made the sample brittle and unsuitable for machining.

Only in 1925, the Dutch chemists van Arkel and de Boer, using the thermal decomposition of titanium iodide, which was not widely used, obtained a substance with 99.9% purity. Such a metal had plasticity, it could be rolled into sheets, wire and foil. This made it possible to begin a full-scale study of physical and chemical properties, to attract the attention of engineers and builders, and to outline areas of application. And already in 1940, the Kroll process for the reduction of titanium tetrachloride with magnesium appeared, which has been successfully used to this day.

Name origin theories

There are two theories about the origin of the name:

Finding titanium in nature

Titan takes an honorable fourth place in terms of content in the earth's crust among the metals important to humans, second only to iron, magnesium and aluminum. Its maximum amount is concentrated in the lower, basalt layer, a little less - in the granite. Taking into account the high chemical activity, it is not possible to find pure titanium. The most common are tetravalent oxides, which are concentrated in ores of the weathering crust and in marine clay.

Today, there are up to 75 titanium minerals, and scientists periodically announce the discovery of more and more new forms and compounds. For industrial processing, the most important are:

Titanium is a weak migrant, it can only be transported in the form of mechanical fragments of rock or when moving colloidal silt layers of water bodies. The biosphere is characterized by the content of the maximum amounts of this metal in seaweed, in animals it is found in wool and horny tissues, in the human body it is present in the thyroid gland, spleen, adrenal glands and placenta.

Deposits of space material

The most common deposits are ilmenite, they amount to about 800 million tons. The reserves of rutile ores are much smaller, but while maintaining the growth of production, all of them can provide humanity for another 100 years. In terms of titanium reserves, Russia is second only to China and has 20 explored deposits. Most of them are complex, where iron, phosphorus, vanadium and zirconium are also mined. Today the world's largest manufacturer titanium is considered to be the Russian metallurgical company VSMPO-AVISMA.

Extensive deposits are located on the territory of South Africa, Ukraine, Canada, USA, Brazil, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Egypt, Kazakhstan, India and South Korea. They differ in the content of metal in the ores and the volume of production, geological surveys do not stop. Even on the Moon, reserves of titanium-containing ores have been discovered, some of which are tens of times richer than the large deposits of the Earth. This allows us to hope for a decrease in the market prices of the metal and an expansion of the scope of use.

Physical properties of the element

Titanium - a chemical element of the periodic table of Mendeleev, is in the IV group of the fourth period. It has an atomic number of 22, a molar mass of 47.867, is denoted by the symbol Ti and exhibits oxidation states from 2 to 4, its tetravalent compounds are the most stable. Under normal pressure, the melting point of titanium is 1670 ± 2 °C, it belongs to non-ferrous refractory metals and resembles steel in appearance.

Hardness, plasticity and yield strength- important parameters for any metal that determine the scope. Titanium is 12 times stronger than aluminum, 4 times stronger than copper and iron. And it is also much lighter than all of them (the density of titanium is only 4.54 g / cm 3) and is freely processed by welding, riveting, forging and rolling. Important features include low thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity, which remain unchanged even at high temperatures.

Titanium exhibits paramagnetic properties: it is not magnetized in a magnetic field, like nickel and iron, and is not pushed out, like silver and gold. Its poor anti-friction properties are due to sticking to many materials. The indicators of corrosion resistance and resistance to mechanical stress are unique: titanium plates that have lain on the seabed for ten years will not undergo changes in appearance and composition, and iron will decompose completely during this time.

Chemical properties

High corrosion resistance is explained by the fact that under normal conditions an oxide film is present on the metal surface. However, in the form of a powder, thin chips or wire, it is capable of self-ignition and explosion. Titanium is resistant to aqueous solutions of chlorine and many dilute alkalis and acids, except hydrofluoric, orthophosphoric and sulfuric. Welding and melting are carried out in a vacuum, because with even slight heating, one of the main properties of titanium is manifested - the active absorption of gases from the surrounding atmosphere.

The reaction with hydrogen, which begins at 60 °C, is reversible, the resulting hydrides decompose again when heated. In air at 1200 °C titanium burns with a bright white flame, and only it can burn in a nitrogen atmosphere at temperatures above 400 ° C with the formation of nitrides. For interaction with halogens necessary conditions are the absence of moisture and the presence of a catalyst - high temperature. When reacted with carbon, a superhard carbide is obtained. With most metals, titanium forms high-strength structural or heat-resistant alloys and intermetallic compounds, and is often used as an important alloying component.

Method of obtaining from raw materials

The initial raw material is titanium dioxide, which contains few foreign impurities. For this, a rutile concentrate is needed, obtained by beneficiation of ore. But its world reserves are small, and titanium slag (synthetic rutile) is more often used, which is obtained by heat treatment - enrichment of ilmenite concentrates in an electric arc furnace. As a result, iron in the form of cast iron is collected at the bottom of a special bath, and a gray powder remains - slag containing titanium oxide. It is crushed, mixed with coal, briquetted and chlorinated in furnaces, where titanium tetrachloride vapors are formed at 800 °C in the presence of carbon.

Then they are purified in special reactors. reduced with magnesium at 950 °C. A sintered porous mass, a titanium sponge, is formed on the walls, which is calcined in vacuum to separate from magnesium compounds. To make titanium ingots, the obtained sponge is melted in vacuum-arc furnaces. This protects the metal from oxidation and contributes to the final release from impurities. Finished ingots with a purity of up to 99.7% are used for pressure treatment (rolling, stamping, forging).

Main Applications

It is difficult to describe all areas of life where there was a place for titanium, but among the main areas one can note:

The scope of titanium is constantly expanding, it is constrained by the complexity and energy intensity of the process of obtaining a pure substance. This is partly why traditional iron and aluminum are still firmly in place today. Titanium is expensive. The price of metal in the form of a concentrate is hundreds of times less than the cost finished products, for example, sheet metal. Today, such expenses are far from accessible to everyone, so the use of titanium determines the level of economic development and the defense capability of the state.

Physical and chemical properties of titanium, obtaining titanium

The use of titanium in pure form and in the form of alloys, the use of titanium in the form of compounds, the physiological effect of titanium

Section 1. History and occurrence of titanium in nature.

Titan -this is element of a secondary subgroup of the fourth group, the fourth period periodic system chemical elements of D. I. Mendeleev, with atomic number 22. The simple substance titanium (CAS number: 7440-32-6) is a light silver-white metal. It exists in two crystalline modifications: α-Ti with a hexagonal close-packed lattice, β-Ti with a cubic body-centered packing, the temperature of the polymorphic transformation α↔β is 883 °C. Melting point 1660±20 °C.

History and presence in nature of titanium

Titan was named after the ancient Greek characters Titans. The German chemist Martin Klaproth named it this way for his personal reasons, unlike the French, who tried to give names in accordance with the chemical characteristics of the element, but since the properties of the element were unknown at that time, such a name was chosen.

Titanium is the 10th element in terms of number of it on our planet. The amount of titanium in the earth's crust is 0.57% by weight and 0.001 milligrams per 1 liter of sea water. Titanium deposits are located on the territory of: the Republic of South Africa, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Japan, Australia, India, Ceylon, Brazil and South Korea.


In terms of physical properties, titanium is a light silvery metal, in addition, it is characterized by high viscosity during machining and is prone to sticking to the cutting tool, so special lubricants or spraying are used to eliminate this effect. At room temperature, it is covered with a translucent film of TiO2 oxide, due to which it is resistant to corrosion in most aggressive environments, except for alkalis. Titanium dust has the ability to explode, with a flash point of 400 °C. Titanium shavings are flammable.

To produce pure titanium or its alloys, in most cases, titanium dioxide is used with a small number of compounds included in it. For example, a rutile concentrate obtained by beneficiation of titanium ores. But the reserves of rutile are extremely small, and in connection with this, the so-called synthetic rutile or titanium slag, obtained during the processing of ilmenite concentrates, is used.

The discoverer of titanium is considered to be 28-year-old English monk William Gregor. In 1790, while conducting mineralogical surveys in his parish, he drew attention to the prevalence and unusual properties of black sand in the valley of Menaken in the south-west of England and began to explore it. In the sand, the priest found grains of a black shiny mineral, attracted by an ordinary magnet. Obtained in 1925 by Van Arkel and de Boer by the iodide method, the purest titanium turned out to be a ductile and technological metal with many valuable properties that attracted the attention of a wide range of designers and engineers. In 1940, Croll proposed a magnesium-thermal method for extracting titanium from ores, which is still the main one at the present time. In 1947, the first 45 kg of commercially pure titanium were produced.


In Mendeleev's periodic system of elements, titanium has serial number 22. The atomic mass of natural titanium, calculated from the results of studies of its isotopes, is 47.926. So, the nucleus of a neutral titanium atom contains 22 protons. The number of neutrons, that is, neutral uncharged particles, is different: more often 26, but can vary from 24 to 28. Therefore, the number of titanium isotopes is different. In total, 13 isotopes of element No. 22 are now known. Natural titanium consists of a mixture of five stable isotopes, titanium-48 is the most widely represented, its share in natural ores is 73.99%. Titanium and other elements of the IVB subgroup are very similar in properties to the elements of the IIIB subgroup (scandium group), although they differ from the latter in their ability to exhibit a large valency. The similarity of titanium with scandium, yttrium, as well as with elements of the VB subgroup - vanadium and niobium, is also expressed in the fact that titanium is often found in natural minerals together with these elements. With monovalent halogens (fluorine, bromine, chlorine and iodine), it can form di-tri- and tetra compounds, with sulfur and elements of its group (selenium, tellurium) - mono- and disulfides, with oxygen - oxides, dioxides and trioxides.


Titanium also forms compounds with hydrogen (hydrides), nitrogen (nitrides), carbon (carbides), phosphorus (phosphides), arsenic (arsides), as well as compounds with many metals - intermetallic compounds. Titanium forms not only simple, but also numerous complex compounds; many of its compounds with organic substances are known. As can be seen from the list of compounds in which titanium can participate, it is chemically very active. And at the same time, titanium is one of the few metals with exceptionally high corrosion resistance: it is practically eternal in the air, in cold and boiling water, it is very resistant in sea water, in solutions of many salts, inorganic and organic acids. In terms of its corrosion resistance in sea water, it surpasses all metals, with the exception of noble ones - gold, platinum, etc., most types of stainless steel, nickel, copper and other alloys. In water, in many aggressive environments, pure titanium is not subject to corrosion. Resists titanium and erosion corrosion resulting from a combination of chemical and mechanical effects on the metal. In this regard, it is not inferior to the best brands. stainless steels, copper-based alloys and other structural materials. Titanium also resists fatigue corrosion well, which often manifests itself in the form of violations of the integrity and strength of the metal (cracking, local corrosion centers, etc.). The behavior of titanium in many aggressive environments, such as nitrogen, hydrochloric, sulfuric, "aqua regia" and other acids and alkalis, is surprising and admirable for this metal.


Titanium is a very refractory metal. For a long time it was believed that it melts at 1800 ° C, but in the mid-50s. English scientists Diardorf and Hayes established the melting point for pure elemental titanium. It amounted to 1668 ± 3 ° C. In terms of its refractoriness, titanium is second only to such metals as tungsten, tantalum, niobium, rhenium, molybdenum, platinoids, zirconium, and among the main structural metals it is in first place. The most important feature of titanium as a metal is its unique physical and chemical properties: low density, high strength, hardness, etc. The main thing is that these properties do not change significantly at high temperatures.

Titanium is a light metal, its density at 0°C is only 4.517 g/cm8, and at 100°C it is 4.506 g/cm3. Titanium belongs to the group of metals with a specific gravity of less than 5 g/cm3. This includes all alkali metals (sodium, cadium, lithium, rubidium, cesium) with a specific gravity of 0.9–1.5 g/cm3, magnesium (1.7 g/cm3), aluminum (2.7 g/cm3) and etc. Titanium is more than 1.5 times heavier than aluminum, and in this, of course, it loses to it, but it is 1.5 times lighter than iron (7.8 g/cm3). However, occupying an intermediate position between aluminum and iron in terms of specific density, titanium surpasses them many times over in its mechanical properties.). Titanium has a significant hardness: it is 12 times harder than aluminum, 4 times harder than iron and copper. Another important characteristic of a metal is its yield strength. The higher it is, the better the parts made of this metal resist operational loads. The yield strength of titanium is almost 18 times higher than that of aluminum. The specific strength of titanium alloys can be increased by a factor of 1.5–2. Its high mechanical properties are well preserved at temperatures up to several hundred degrees. Pure titanium is suitable for all types of processing in hot and cold states: it can be forged like iron, drawn and even made into wire, rolled into sheets, tapes, and foils up to 0.01 mm thick.


Unlike most metals, titanium has significant electrical resistance: if the electrical conductivity of silver is taken as 100, then the electrical conductivity of copper is 94, aluminum is 60, iron and platinum is -15, and titanium is only 3.8. Titanium is a paramagnetic metal, it is not magnetized like iron in a magnetic field, but it is not pushed out of it like copper. Its magnetic susceptibility is very weak, this property can be used in construction. Titanium has a relatively low thermal conductivity, only 22.07 W / (mK), which is approximately 3 times lower than the thermal conductivity of iron, 7 times lower than magnesium, 17–20 times lower than aluminum and copper. Accordingly, the coefficient of linear thermal expansion of titanium is lower than that of other structural materials: at 20 C, it is 1.5 times lower than that of iron, 2 - for copper, and almost 3 - for aluminum. Thus, titanium is a poor conductor of electricity and heat.


Today, titanium alloys are widely used in aviation technology. Titanium alloys were first used on an industrial scale in the construction of aircraft jet engines. The use of titanium in the design of jet engines makes it possible to reduce their weight by 10...25%. In particular, compressor discs and blades, air intake parts, guide vanes and fasteners are made from titanium alloys. Titanium alloys are indispensable for supersonic aircraft. The growth of flight speeds aircraft led to an increase in the temperature of the skin, as a result of which aluminum alloys no longer meet the requirements of aviation technology for supersonic speeds. The skin temperature in this case reaches 246...316 °C. Under these conditions, titanium alloys turned out to be the most acceptable material. In the 70s, the use of titanium alloys for the airframe of civil aircraft increased significantly. In a medium-haul aircraft TU-204 total weight parts made of titanium alloys is 2570 kg. The use of titanium in helicopters is gradually expanding, mainly for parts of the main rotor system, drive, and control system. An important place is occupied by titanium alloys in rocket science.

Due to the high corrosion resistance in sea water, titanium and its alloys are used in shipbuilding for the manufacture of propellers, ship plating, submarines, torpedoes, etc. Shells do not stick to titanium and its alloys, which sharply increase the resistance of the vessel when it moves. Gradually, the areas of application of titanium are expanding. Titanium and its alloys are used in the chemical, petrochemical, pulp and paper and food industries, non-ferrous metallurgy, power engineering, electronics, nuclear technology, electroplating, in the manufacture of weapons, for the manufacture of armor plates, surgical instruments, surgical implants, desalination plants, racing car parts , sports equipment (golf clubs, climbing equipment), parts wrist watch and even jewelry. Nitriding of titanium leads to the formation of a golden film on its surface, which is not inferior in beauty to real gold.

The discovery of TiO2 was made almost simultaneously and independently by the Englishman W. Gregor and the German chemist M. G. Klaproth. W. Gregor, studying the composition of magnetic ferruginous sand (Creed, Cornwall, England, 1791), isolated a new "earth" (oxide) of an unknown metal, which he called menaken. In 1795, the German chemist Klaproth discovered a new element in the mineral rutile and named it titanium. Two years later, Klaproth established that rutile and menaken earth are oxides of the same element, behind which the name "titanium" proposed by Klaproth remained. After 10 years, the discovery of titanium took place for the third time. The French scientist L. Vauquelin discovered titanium in anatase and proved that rutile and anatase are identical titanium oxides.

The first sample of metallic titanium was obtained in 1825 by J. Ya. Berzelius. Due to the high chemical activity of titanium and the complexity of its purification, the Dutch A. van Arkel and I. de Boer obtained a pure Ti sample in 1925 by thermal decomposition of titanium iodide TiI4 vapor.

Titanium is the 10th most abundant in nature. The content in the earth's crust is 0.57% by mass, in sea water 0.001 mg / l. 300 g/t in ultrabasic rocks, 9 kg/t in basic rocks, 2.3 kg/t in acid rocks, 4.5 kg/t in clays and shales. In the earth's crust, titanium is almost always tetravalent and is present only in oxygen compounds. It does not occur in free form. Titanium under conditions of weathering and precipitation has a geochemical affinity for Al2O3. It is concentrated in bauxites of the weathering crust and in marine clayey sediments. The transfer of titanium is carried out in the form of mechanical fragments of minerals and in the form of colloids. Up to 30% TiO2 by weight accumulates in some clays. Titanium minerals are resistant to weathering and form large concentrations in placers. More than 100 minerals containing titanium are known. The most important of them are: rutile TiO2, ilmenite FeTiO3, titanomagnetite FeTiO3 + Fe3O4, perovskite CaTiO3, titanite CaTiSiO5. There are primary titanium ores - ilmenite-titanomagnetite and placer - rutile-ilmenite-zircon.

Main ores: ilmenite (FeTiO3), rutile (TiO2), titanite (CaTiSiO5).


In 2002, 90% of the mined titanium was used for the production of titanium dioxide TiO2. World production of titanium dioxide was 4.5 million tons per year. The confirmed reserves of titanium dioxide (without Russia) are about 800 million tons. For 2006, according to the US Geological Survey, in terms of titanium dioxide and excluding Russia, the reserves of ilmenite ores amount to 603-673 million tons, and rutile - 49.7- 52.7 million tons. Thus, at the current rate of production, the world's proven reserves of titanium (excluding Russia) will be enough for more than 150 years.

Russia has the world's second largest reserves of titanium after China. The mineral resource base of titanium in Russia is made up of 20 deposits (of which 11 are primary and 9 are alluvial), fairly evenly dispersed throughout the country. The largest of the explored deposits (Yaregskoye) is located 25 km from the city of Ukhta (Komi Republic). The reserves of the deposit are estimated at 2 billion tons of ore with an average titanium dioxide content of about 10%.

The world's largest producer of titanium - Russian company"VSMPO-AVISMA".

As a rule, the starting material for the production of titanium and its compounds is titanium dioxide with a relatively small amount of impurities. In particular, it can be a rutile concentrate obtained during the beneficiation of titanium ores. However, the reserves of rutile in the world are very limited, and the so-called synthetic rutile or titanium slag, obtained during the processing of ilmenite concentrates, is more often used. To obtain titanium slag, ilmenite concentrate is reduced in an electric arc furnace, while iron is separated into a metal phase (cast iron), and not reduced titanium oxides and impurities form a slag phase. Rich slag is processed by the chloride or sulfuric acid method.

In pure form and in the form of alloys

Titanium monument to Gagarin on Leninsky Prospekt in Moscow

The metal is used in: chemical industry (reactors, pipelines, pumps, pipeline accessories), military industry (body armor, armor and fire barriers in aviation, submarine hulls), industrial processes (desalination plants, pulp and paper processes), automotive industry, agricultural industry, food industry, piercing jewelry, medical industry (prostheses, osteoprostheses ), dental and endodontic instruments, dental implants, sporting goods, jewelry (Alexander Khomov), mobile phones, light alloys, etc. It is the most important structural material in aircraft, rocket, and shipbuilding.

Titanium casting is carried out in vacuum furnaces in graphite molds. Vacuum investment casting is also used. Due to technological difficulties, it is used in artistic casting to a limited extent. The first monumental cast titanium sculpture in the world is the monument to Yuri Gagarin on the square named after him in Moscow.

Titanium is an alloying addition in many alloy steels and most special alloys.

Nitinol (nickel-titanium) is a shape memory alloy used in medicine and technology.

Titanium aluminides are very resistant to oxidation and heat-resistant, which in turn determined their use in aviation and automotive industry as structural materials.

Titanium is one of the most common getter materials used in high vacuum pumps.

White titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used in paints (such as titanium white) as well as in the manufacture of paper and plastics. Food additive E171.

Organotitanium compounds (eg tetrabutoxytitanium) are used as a catalyst and hardener in the chemical and paint industries.

Inorganic titanium compounds are used in the chemical, electronic, glass fiber industries as additives or coatings.

Titanium carbide, titanium diboride, titanium carbonitride are important components of superhard materials for metal processing.

Titanium nitride is used to coat tools, church domes and in the manufacture of costume jewelry, because. has a color similar to gold.


Barium titanate BaTiO3, lead titanate PbTiO3 and a number of other titanates are ferroelectrics.

There are many titanium alloys with different metals. Alloying elements are divided into three groups, depending on their effect on the temperature of polymorphic transformation: beta stabilizers, alpha stabilizers and neutral hardeners. The former lower the transformation temperature, the latter increase it, and the latter do not affect it, but lead to solution hardening of the matrix. Examples of alpha stabilizers: aluminum, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen. Beta stabilizers: molybdenum, vanadium, iron, chromium, nickel. Neutral hardeners: zirconium, tin, silicon. Beta stabilizers, in turn, are divided into beta-isomorphic and beta-eutectoid-forming. The most common titanium alloy is the Ti-6Al-4V alloy (in the Russian classification - VT6).

60% - paint;

20% - plastic;

13% - paper;

7% - mechanical engineering.

$15-25 per kilo, depending on purity.

The purity and grade of rough titanium (titanium sponge) is usually determined by its hardness, which depends on the content of impurities. The most common brands are TG100 and TG110.

The price of ferrotitanium (minimum 70% titanium) as of 12/22/2010 is $6.82 per kilogram. On 01.01.2010 the price was at the level of $5.00 per kilogram.

In Russia, titanium prices at the beginning of 2012 were 1200-1500 rubles/kg.

Advantages:

low density (4500 kg / m3) helps to reduce the mass of the material used;

high mechanical strength. It should be noted that at elevated temperatures (250-500 °C) titanium alloys are superior in strength to high-strength aluminum and magnesium alloys;

unusually high corrosion resistance, due to the ability of titanium to form thin (5-15 microns) continuous films of TiO2 oxide on the surface, firmly bonded to the metal mass;

the specific strength (ratio of strength and density) of the best titanium alloys reaches 30-35 or more, which is almost twice the specific strength of alloyed steels.


Flaws:

high production cost, titanium is much more expensive than iron, aluminum, copper, magnesium;

active interaction at high temperatures, especially in the liquid state, with all the gases that make up the atmosphere, as a result of which titanium and its alloys can only be melted in a vacuum or in an inert gas environment;

difficulties involved in the production of titanium waste;

poor antifriction properties due to titanium sticking to many materials, titanium paired with titanium cannot work for friction;

high propensity of titanium and many of its alloys to hydrogen embrittlement and salt corrosion;

poor machinability similar to that of austenitic stainless steels;

high reactivity, a tendency to grain growth at high temperature and phase transformations during the welding cycle cause difficulties in welding titanium.


The main part of titanium is spent on the needs of aviation and rocket technology and marine shipbuilding. Titanium (ferrotitanium) is used as an alloying additive to high-quality steels and as a deoxidizer. Technical titanium is used for the manufacture of tanks, chemical reactors, pipelines, fittings, pumps, valves and other products operating in aggressive environments. Grids and other parts of electrovacuum devices operating at high temperatures are made from compact titanium.

In terms of use as a structural material, titanium is in 4th place, second only to Al, Fe and Mg. Titanium aluminides are very resistant to oxidation and heat-resistant, which in turn determined their use in aviation and automotive industry as structural materials. The biological safety of titanium makes it an excellent material for the food industry and reconstructive surgery.

Titanium and its alloys are widely used in engineering due to their high mechanical strength, which is maintained at high temperatures, corrosion resistance, heat resistance, specific strength, low density, and others. useful properties. The high cost of titanium and its alloys is in many cases offset by their greater performance, and in some cases they are the only material from which it is possible to manufacture equipment or structures capable of operating under given specific conditions.

Titanium alloys play an important role in aviation technology, where the aim is to obtain the lightest design combined with the required strength. Titanium is light compared to other metals, but at the same time it can work at high temperatures. Titanium alloys are used to make skin, fastening parts, a power set, chassis parts, and various units. Also, these materials are used in the construction of aircraft jet engines. This allows you to reduce their weight by 10-25%. Titanium alloys are used to produce compressor disks and blades, air intake and guide vane parts, and fasteners.

Titanium and its alloys are also used in rocket science. In view of the short-term operation of the engines and the rapid passage of dense layers of the atmosphere, the problems of fatigue strength, static endurance, and, to some extent, creep are removed in rocket science.

Technical titanium is not suitable for aviation applications due to its insufficiently high heat resistance, but due to its exceptionally high corrosion resistance, in some cases it is indispensable in the chemical industry and shipbuilding. So it is used in the manufacture of compressors and pumps for pumping such aggressive media as sulfuric and hydrochloric acid and their salts, pipelines, stop valves, autoclave, various containers, filters, etc. Only titanium has corrosion resistance in environments such as wet chlorine, aqueous and acidic chlorine solutions, therefore, from given metal manufacture equipment for the chlorine industry. Titanium is used to make heat exchangers that operate in corrosive environments, for example, in nitric acid (not fuming). In shipbuilding, titanium is used for the manufacture of propellers, plating of ships, submarines, torpedoes, etc. Shells do not stick to titanium and its alloys, which sharply increase the resistance of the vessel when it moves.

Titanium alloys are promising for use in many other applications, but their use in technology is constrained by the high cost and scarcity of titanium.

Titanium compounds are also widely used in various industries. Titanium carbide has a high hardness and is used in the manufacture of cutting tools and abrasive materials. White titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used in paints (such as titanium white) as well as in the manufacture of paper and plastics. Organotitanium compounds (eg tetrabutoxytitanium) are used as a catalyst and hardener in the chemical and paint industries. Inorganic titanium compounds are used in the chemical, electronic, fiberglass industry as an additive. Titanium diboride is an important component of superhard metalworking materials. Titanium nitride is used to coat tools.

With the current high prices for titanium, it is mainly used for the production of military equipment, where the main role belongs not to cost, but technical specifications. Nevertheless, cases of using the unique properties of titanium for civil needs are known. As the price of titanium falls and production rises, the use of this metal in military and civilian applications will expand more and more.


Aviation. The low specific gravity and high strength (especially at elevated temperatures) of titanium and its alloys make them highly valuable aviation materials. In the field of aircraft construction and production aircraft engines titanium is increasingly replacing aluminum and stainless steel. As the temperature rises, aluminum quickly loses its strength. On the other hand, titanium has a clear strength advantage at temperatures up to 430°C, and elevated temperatures of this order occur at high speeds due to aerodynamic heating. The advantage of replacing steel with titanium in aviation is to reduce weight without sacrificing strength. The overall reduction in weight with increased performance at elevated temperatures allows for increased payload, range and maneuverability of aircraft. This explains the efforts aimed at expanding the use of titanium in aircraft construction in the manufacture of engines, the construction of fuselages, the manufacture of skins and even fasteners.

In the construction of jet engines, titanium is mainly used for the manufacture of compressor blades, turbine disks and many other stamped parts. Here, titanium is replacing stainless and heat-treated alloy steels. A saving of one kilogram in engine weight saves up to 10 kg in the total weight of the aircraft due to the lightening of the fuselage. In the future, it is planned to use sheet titanium for the manufacture of casings for engine combustion chambers.

In aircraft construction, titanium is widely used for fuselage parts operating at elevated temperatures. Sheet titanium is used for the manufacture of all kinds of casings, protective sheaths of cables and guides for projectiles. Various stiffening elements, fuselage frames, ribs, etc. are made from alloyed titanium sheets.

Shrouds, flaps, cable sheaths and projectile guides are made from unalloyed titanium. Alloyed titanium is used for the manufacture of the fuselage frame, frames, pipelines and fire barriers.


Titanium is increasingly used in the construction of the F-86 and F-100 aircraft. In the future, titanium will be used to make landing gear doors, hydraulic piping, exhaust pipes and nozzles, spars, flaps, folding struts, etc.

Titanium can be used to make armor plates, propeller blades, and shell boxes.

At present, titanium is used in the construction of military aircraft Douglas X-3 for skin, Republic F-84F, Curtiss-Wright J-65 and Boeing B-52.

Titanium is also used in the construction of civil aircraft DC-7. The Douglas company, by replacing aluminum alloys and stainless steel with titanium in the manufacture of the engine nacelle and fire barriers, has already achieved savings in the weight of the aircraft structure of about 90 kg. Currently, the weight of titanium parts in this aircraft is 2%, and this figure is expected to be increased to 20% of the total weight of the aircraft.

The use of titanium makes it possible to reduce the weight of helicopters. Sheet titanium is used for floors and doors. A significant reduction in the weight of the helicopter (about 30 kg) was achieved as a result of the replacement of alloyed steel with titanium for sheathing the blades of its rotors.

Navy. The corrosion resistance of titanium and its alloys makes them a highly valuable material at sea. The US Department of the Navy is extensively investigating the corrosion resistance of titanium against exposure to flue gases, steam, oil, and sea water. The high specific strength of titanium is of almost the same importance in naval affairs.

The low specific gravity of the metal, combined with corrosion resistance, increases the maneuverability and range of the ships, and also reduces the cost of maintaining the material part and its repair.


Applications of titanium in the navy include exhaust mufflers for submarine diesel engines, instrument discs, thin-walled tubes for condensers and heat exchangers. According to experts, titanium, like no other metal, is able to increase the life of exhaust mufflers on submarines. For gauge discs exposed to salt water, gasoline or oil, titanium will provide better durability. The possibility of using titanium for the manufacture of heat exchanger tubes is being investigated, which should be corrosion resistant in sea water washing the tubes from the outside, and at the same time withstand the effects of exhaust condensate flowing inside them. The possibility of manufacturing antennas and components of radar installations from titanium, which are required to be resistant to the effects of flue gases and sea water, is being considered. Titanium can also be used for the production of parts such as valves, propellers, turbine parts, etc.

Artillery. Apparently the largest potential consumer Titanium may be artillery, where intensive research is currently underway on various prototypes. However, in this area, the production of only individual parts and parts made of titanium is standardized. The rather limited use of titanium in artillery with a large scope of research is explained by its high cost.

Various parts of artillery equipment were investigated from the point of view of the possibility of replacing conventional materials with titanium, subject to a reduction in titanium prices. The main attention was paid to parts for which weight reduction is essential (parts carried by hand and transported by air).

Mortar baseplate made from titanium instead of steel. By such a replacement and after some alteration, instead of a steel plate from two halves with a total weight of 22 kg, it was possible to create one part weighing 11 kg. Thanks to this replacement, it is possible to reduce the number of service personnel from three to two. The possibility of using titanium for the manufacture of gun flame arresters is being considered.

Titanium-made gun mounts, carriage crosses and recoil cylinders are being tested. Titanium can be widely used in the production of guided projectiles and missiles.

The first studies of titanium and its alloys showed the possibility of manufacturing armor plates from them. Replacing steel armor (12.7 mm thick) with titanium armor of the same projectile resistance (16 mm thick) makes it possible, according to these studies, to save up to 25% in weight.


Titanium alloys high quality allow us to hope for the possibility of replacing steel plates with titanium plates of equal thickness, which saves up to 44% in weight. The industrial use of titanium will provide greater maneuverability, increase the range of transportation and the durability of the gun. The current level of development of air transport makes obvious the advantages of light armored cars and other vehicles made of titanium. The artillery department intends to equip infantry with helmets, bayonets, grenade launchers and hand-held flamethrowers made of titanium in the future. Titanium alloy was first used in artillery for the manufacture of the piston of some automatic guns.

Transport. Many of the benefits of using titanium in the production of armored materiel apply to vehicles as well.

The replacement of structural materials currently consumed by transport engineering enterprises with titanium should lead to a reduction in fuel consumption, an increase in payload capacity, an increase in the fatigue limit of parts of crank mechanisms, etc. railways it is essential to reduce dead weight. A significant reduction in the total weight of the rolling stock due to the use of titanium will save in traction, reduce the dimensions of the necks and axle boxes.

Weight is also important for trailers. Vehicle. Here, the replacement of steel with titanium in the production of axles and wheels would also increase the payload capacity.

All these opportunities could be realized by reducing the price of titanium from 15 to 2-3 dollars per pound of titanium semi-finished products.

Chemical industry. In the production of equipment for the chemical industry, the corrosion resistance of the metal is of the utmost importance. It is also essential to reduce the weight and increase the strength of the equipment. Logically, it should be assumed that titanium could provide a number of benefits in the production of equipment for transporting acids, alkalis and inorganic salts from it. Additional possibilities for the use of titanium are opening up in the production of such equipment as tanks, columns, filters and all kinds of cylinders. high pressure.

The use of titanium piping can improve the efficiency of heating coils in laboratory autoclaves and heat exchangers. The applicability of titanium for the production of cylinders in which gases and liquids are stored under pressure for a long time is evidenced by the use in microanalysis of combustion products instead of a heavier glass tube (shown in the upper part of the image). Due to the small wall thickness and low specific gravity this tube can be weighed on smaller, more sensitive analytical balances. Here, the combination of lightness and corrosion resistance improves the accuracy of chemical analysis.

Other applications. The use of titanium is expedient in the food, oil and electrical industries, as well as for the manufacture of surgical instruments and in surgery itself.

Tables for food preparation, steaming tables made of titanium are superior in quality to steel products.

In the oil and gas drilling industry, the fight against corrosion is of great importance, so the use of titanium will make it possible to replace corroding equipment rods less frequently. In catalytic production and for the manufacture of oil pipelines, it is desirable to use titanium, which retains mechanical properties at high temperatures and has good corrosion resistance.

In the electrical industry, titanium can be used to armor cables due to its good specific strength, high electrical resistance and non-magnetic properties.

In various industries, fasteners of one form or another made of titanium are beginning to be used. Further expansion of the use of titanium is possible for the manufacture of surgical instruments, mainly due to its corrosion resistance. Titanium instruments are superior in this respect to conventional surgical instruments when repeatedly boiled or autoclaved.

In the field of surgery, titanium proved to be better than vitallium and stainless steels. The presence of titanium in the body is quite acceptable. The plate and screws made of titanium for fastening the bones were in the body of the animal for several months, and the bone grew into the threads of the screws and into the hole in the plate.

The advantage of titanium also lies in the fact that muscle tissue is formed on the plate.

Approximately half of the titanium products produced in the world are usually sent to the civil aircraft industry, but its decline after the well-known tragic events is forcing many industry participants to look for new applications for titanium. This material represents the first part of a selection of publications in the foreign metallurgical press devoted to the prospects of titanium in modern conditions. According to one of the leading American manufacturers of titanium RT1, out of the total volume of titanium production on a global scale at the level of 50-60 thousand tons per year, the aerospace segment accounts for up to 40 consumption, industrial applications and applications account for 34, and the military area 16 , and about 10 accounted for the use of titanium in consumer products. Industrial applications of titanium include chemical processes, energy, oil and gas industry, desalination plants. Military non-aeronautical applications include primarily use in artillery and combat vehicles. Sectors with significant use of titanium are the automotive industry, architecture and construction, sporting goods, and jewelry. Almost all titanium in ingots is produced in the USA, Japan and the CIS - Europe accounts for only 3.6 of the global volume. Regional markets for the end use of titanium vary greatly - the most striking example of originality is Japan, where the civil aerospace sector accounts for only 2-3 using 30 of the total consumption of titanium in equipment and structural elements of chemical plants. Approximately 20% of Japan's total demand is for nuclear power and solid fuel power plants, the rest is for architecture, medicine and sports. The opposite picture is observed in the US and Europe, where consumption in the aerospace sector is of exceptional importance - 60-75 and 50-60 for each region, respectively. In the US, traditionally strong end markets are chemicals, medical equipment, industrial equipment, while in Europe the largest share is in the oil and gas industry and construction industry. The heavy reliance on the aerospace industry has been a long-standing concern for the titanium industry, which is trying to expand titanium applications, especially in the current downturn in civil aviation on a global scale. According to the US Geological Survey, in the first quarter of 2003 there was a significant decline in imports of titanium sponge - only 1319 tons, which is 62 less than 3431 tons over the same period in 2002. The aerospace sector will always be one of the leading markets for titanium, but we in the titanium industry must rise to the challenge and do everything we can to make sure our industry does not development and recession cycles in the aerospace sector. Some of the titanium industry's leading manufacturers see growing opportunities in existing markets, one of which is the subsea equipment and materials market. According to Martin Proko, Sales and Distribution Manager for RT1, titanium has been used in power generation and underwater applications for a long time, since the early 1980s, but only in the last five years have these areas become steadily developing with a corresponding growth in the market niche. In the subsea sector, the growth is primarily driven by drilling operations at greater depths, where titanium is the most suitable material. Its, so to speak, underwater life cycle is fifty years, which corresponds to the usual duration of underwater projects. We have already listed the areas in which an increase in the use of titanium is likely. Howmet Ti-Cast sales manager Bob Funnell notes that the current state of the market can be seen as growth opportunities in new areas such as rotating parts for truck turbochargers, rockets and pumps.


One of our ongoing projects is the development of BAE Butitzer XM777 light artillery systems with a caliber of 155 mm. Newmet will supply 17 of the 28 structural titanium assemblies for each gun mount, with deliveries to the US Marine Corps due in August 2004. With a total gun weight of 9,800 pounds of approximately 4.44 tons, titanium accounts for about 2,600 pounds of approximately 1.18 tons of titanium in its design - a 6A14U alloy with a large number of castings is used, says Frank Hrster, head of fire support systems BAE Sy81et8. This XM777 system is to replace the current M198 Newitzer system, which weighs about 17,000 pounds and approximately 7.71 tons. Mass production is planned for the period from 2006 to 2010 - deliveries to the USA, Great Britain and Italy are initially scheduled, but the program may be expanded for deliveries to NATO member countries. John Barber of Timet points out that examples military equipment, in the design of which significant volumes of titanium are used, are the Abramé tank and the Bradley fighting vehicle. For the past two years, a joint program between NATO, the US and the UK has been underway to intensify the use of titanium in weapons and defense systems. As has been noted more than once, titanium is very suitable for use in the automotive industry, however, the share of this direction is rather modest - about 1 of the total volume of titanium consumed, or 500 tons per year, according to the Italian company Poggipolini, a manufacturer of titanium components and parts for Formula- 1 and racing motorcycles. Daniele Stoppolini, the head of the research and development department of this company, believes that the current demand for titanium in this market segment is at the level of 500 tons, with the massive use of this material in the construction of valves, springs, exhaust systems, transmission shafts, bolts, could potentially rise to the level of almost not 16,000 tons per year He added that his company is just beginning to develop automated production of titanium bolts in order to reduce production costs. In his opinion, the limiting factors, due to which the use of titanium does not expand significantly in the automotive industry, are the unpredictability of demand and the uncertainty with the supply of raw materials. At the same time, a large potential niche for titanium remains in the automotive industry, combining optimal weight and strength characteristics for coil springs and exhaust gas systems. Unfortunately, in the American market, the wide use of titanium in these systems is marked only by a fairly exclusive semi-sport model Chevrolet Corvette Z06, which can in no way claim to be a mass car. However, due to the ongoing challenges of fuel economy and corrosion resistance, the prospects for titanium in this area remain. For approval in the markets of non-aerospace and non-military applications, the UNITI joint venture was recently created in its name, the word unity is played up - unity and Ti - the designation of titanium in the periodic table as part of the world's leading titanium producers - American Allegheny Technologies and Russian VSMPO-Avisma. As the president of the new company, Carl Moulton, said, these markets were deliberately excluded - we intend to make new company a leading supplier to industries using titanium parts and assemblies, primarily petrochemical and power generation. In addition, we intend to actively market in the fields of desalination devices, vehicles, consumer products and electronics. I believe that our production facilities complement each other well - VSMPO has outstanding capabilities for the production of end products, Allegheny has excellent traditions in the production of cold and hot titanium rolled products. UNITI's share of the global titanium products market is expected to be 45 million pounds, approximately 20,411 tons. The market of medical equipment can be considered a steadily developing market - according to the British Titanium International Group, the annual content of titanium worldwide in various implants and prostheses is about 1000 tons, and this figure will increase, as the possibilities of surgery to replace human joints after accidents or injuries. In addition to the obvious advantages of flexibility, strength, lightness, titanium is highly compatible with the body in a biological sense due to the absence of corrosion to tissues and fluids in the human body. In dentistry, the use of prostheses and implants is also skyrocketing - three times in the last ten years, according to the American Dental Association, largely due to the characteristics of titanium. Although the use of titanium in architecture dates back more than 25 years, its widespread use in this area has only begun in recent years. The expansion of Abu Dhabi Airport in the UAE, scheduled for completion in 2006, will use up to 1.5 million pounds of approximately 680 tons of titanium. Quite a lot of various architectural and construction projects using titanium are planned to be implemented not only in the developed countries of the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Singapore, but also in Egypt and Peru.


The consumer goods market segment is currently the fastest growing segment of the titanium market. While 10 years ago this segment was only 1-2 of the titanium market, today it has grown to 8-10 of the market. Overall, titanium consumption in the consumer goods industry grew at about twice the rate of the entire titanium market. The use of titanium in sports is the longest running and holds the largest share of the use of titanium in consumer products. The reason for the popularity of titanium in sports equipment is simple - it allows you to get a ratio of weight and strength superior to any other metal. The use of titanium in bicycles began about 25-30 years ago and was the first use of titanium in sports equipment. Ti3Al-2.5V ASTM Grade 9 alloy tubes are mainly used. Other parts made from titanium alloys include brakes, sprockets and seat springs. The use of titanium in the manufacture of golf clubs first began in the late 80s and early 90s by club manufacturers in Japan. Prior to 1994-1995, this application of titanium was virtually unknown in the US and Europe. That changed when Callaway introduced its Ruger Titanium titanium stick, called the Great Big Bertha. Due to the obvious benefits and well-thought-out marketing from Callaway, titanium sticks became an instant hit. Within a short period of time, titanium clubs have gone from the exclusive and expensive equipment of a small group of golfers to being widely used by most golfers while still being more expensive than steel clubs. I would like to cite the main, in my opinion, trends in the development of the golf market; it has gone from high-tech to mass production in a short period of 4-5 years, following the path of other industries with high labor costs such as the production of clothing, toys and consumer electronics, the production of golf clubs has gone into countries with the cheapest labor first to Taiwan, then to China, and now factories are being built in countries with even cheaper labor, such as Vietnam and Thailand, titanium is definitely used for drivers, where its superior qualities give a clear advantage and justify more high price. However, titanium has not yet found very widespread use on subsequent clubs, as the significant increase in costs is not supported by a corresponding improvement in the game. Currently, drivers are mainly produced with a forged striking surface, a forged or cast top and a cast bottom. Recently, the Professional Golf Association ROA allowed an increase the upper limit of the so-called return factor, in connection with which all club manufacturers will try to increase the spring properties of the striking surface. To do this, it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the impact surface and use stronger alloys for it, such as SP700, 15-3-3-3 and VT-23. Now let's focus on the use of titanium and its alloys on other sports equipment. Race bike tubes and other parts are made from ASTM Grade 9 Ti3Al-2.5V alloy. A surprisingly significant amount of titanium sheet is used in the manufacture of scuba diving knives. Most manufacturers use Ti6Al-4V alloy, but this alloy does not provide blade edge durability like other stronger alloys. Some manufacturers are switching to using BT23 alloy.


The retail price of titanium scuba knives is approximately $70-80. Cast titanium horseshoes provide a significant reduction in weight compared to steel, while providing the necessary strength. Unfortunately, this use of titanium did not materialize because the titanium horseshoes sparkled and frightened the horses. Few will agree to use titanium horseshoes after the first unsuccessful experiments. Titanium Beach, based in Newport Beach, California Newport Beach, California, has developed Ti6Al-4V alloy skate blades. Unfortunately, here again the problem is the durability of the edge of the blades. I think that this product has a chance to live if manufacturers use stronger alloys such as 15-3-3-3 or BT-23. Titanium is very widely used in mountaineering and hiking, for almost all items that climbers and hikers carry in their backpacks bottles, cups retail price $20-30, cooking sets retail price approximately $50, dinnerware mostly made from commercially pure titanium Grade 1 and 2. Other examples of climbing and hiking equipment are compact stoves, tent racks and mounts, ice axes and ice screws. Arms manufacturers have recently begun producing titanium pistols for both sport shooting and law enforcement applications.

Consumer electronics is a fairly new and rapidly growing market for titanium. In many cases, the use of titanium in consumer electronics is not only due to its excellent properties, but also due to the attractive appearance of the products. Commercially pure Grade 1 titanium is used to make laptop cases, mobile phones, plasma flat screen TVs and other electronic equipment. The use of titanium in speaker construction provides superior acoustic properties due to titanium being lighter than steel resulting in increased acoustic sensitivity. Titanium watches, first introduced to the market by Japanese manufacturers, are now one of the most affordable and recognized consumer titanium products. World consumption of titanium in the production of traditional and so-called wearable jewelry is measured in several tens of tons. Increasingly, you can see titanium wedding rings, and of course, people wearing jewelry on their bodies are simply obliged to use titanium. Titanium is widely used in the manufacture of marine fasteners and fittings, where the combination of high corrosion resistance and strength is very important. Atlas Ti, based in Los Angeles, manufactures a wide range of these products from VTZ-1 alloy. The use of titanium in the production of tools first began in the Soviet Union in the early 80s, when, on the instructions of the government, light and convenient tools were made to facilitate the work of workers. The Soviet giant of titanium production, the Verkhne-Saldinskoye Metal Processing Production Association, at that time produced titanium shovels, nail pullers, mounts, hatchets and keys.


Later, Japanese and American tool manufacturers began to use titanium in their products. Not so long ago, VSMPO signed a contract with Boeing for the supply of titanium plates. This contract undoubtedly had a very beneficial effect on the development of titanium production in Russia. Titanium has been widely used in medicine for many years. The advantages are strength, corrosion resistance, and most importantly, some people are allergic to nickel, a necessary component of stainless steels, while no one is allergic to titanium. The alloys used are commercially pure titanium and Ti6-4Eli. Titanium is used in the manufacture of surgical instruments, internal and external prostheses, including critical ones such as a heart valve. Crutches and wheelchairs are made from titanium. The use of titanium in art dates back to 1967, when the first titanium monument was erected in Moscow.

At the moment, a significant number of titanium monuments and buildings have been erected on almost all continents, including such famous ones as the Guggenheim Museum, built by architect Frank Gehry in Bilbao. The material is very popular with people of art for its color, appearance, strength and resistance to corrosion. For these reasons, titanium is used in souvenirs and costume jewelry haberdashery, where it successfully competes with such precious metals as silver and even gold. . As RTi's Martin Proko points out, in the US average price titanium sponge is 3.80 per pound, in Russia 3.20 per pound. In addition, the price of metal is highly dependent on the cyclicality of the commercial aerospace industry. The development of many projects could accelerate dramatically if ways can be found to reduce the costs of titanium production and processing, scrap processing and smelting technologies, said Markus Holz, managing director of the German Deutshe Titan. British Titanium agrees that the expansion of titanium production is being held back by high production costs, and many advances in current technology need to be made before titanium can be mass-produced.


One of the steps in this direction is the development of the so-called FFC process, which is a new electrolytic process for the production of metallic titanium and alloys, the cost of which is significantly lower. According to Daniele Stoppolini, the overall strategy in the titanium industry requires the development of the most suitable alloys, production technology for each new market and application of titanium.

Sources

Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia, WikiPedia

metotech.ru - Metotechnics

housetop.com - House Top

atomsteel.com – Atom technology

domremstroy.ru - DomRemStroy

Titanium - metal fairies. At least the element is named after the queen of these mythical creatures. Titania, like all her relatives, distinguished herself by airiness.

Fairies can fly not only with wings, but also with low weight. Titanium is also light. The density of the element is the smallest among metals. This is where the resemblance to fairies ends and pure science begins.

Chemical and physical properties titanium

Titanium is an element silvery-white color, with a pronounced luster. In the highlights of the metal, you can see pink, blue, and red. Shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow - salient feature 22nd element.

His radiance is always bright, because titanium resistant to corrosion. The material is protected from it. oxide film. It is formed on the surface at standard temperature.

As a result, metal corrosion is not terrible either in air or in water, or in most aggressive environments, for example,. So chemists called the mixture of concentrated and acids.

The 22nd element melts at 1,660 degrees Celsius. It turns out, titanium - non-ferrous metal refractory group. The material begins to burn before it softens.

A white flame appears at 1,200 degrees. The substance boils at 3260 Celsius. Melting an element makes it viscous. You have to use special reagents that prevent sticking.

If the liquid mass of the metal is viscous and sticky, then titanium in the state of powder is explosive. For the "bomb" to work, heating up to 400 degrees Celsius is enough. Accepting thermal energy, the element does not transfer it well.

Titanium is also not used as an electrical conductor. But, the material is valued for its strength. Combined with its low density and weight, it is useful in many industries.

Chemically, titanium is quite active. One way or another, metal interacts with most elements. Exceptions: - inert gases, , sodium, potassium, , calcium and .

Such a small amount of substances indifferent to titanium complicates the process of obtaining a pure element. Not easy to produce and titanium metal alloys. However, industrialists have learned to do this. The practical use of mixtures based on the 22nd substance is too high.

Application of titanium

Assembly of planes and rockets - that's where it comes in handy in the first place titanium. Buy metal necessary to increase the heat resistance and heat resistance of the hull. Heat resistance - resistance to high temperatures.

They, for example, are inevitable when accelerating a rocket in the atmosphere. Heat resistance is the preservation of most of the mechanical properties of the alloy in "fiery" circumstances. That is, with titanium, the performance characteristics of parts do not change depending on environmental conditions.

The resistance of the 22nd metal to corrosion also comes in handy. This property is important not only in the production of machines. The element goes to flasks and other utensils for chemical laboratories, becomes a raw material for jewelry.

Raw materials are not cheap. But, in all industries, the costs are paid off by the service life of titanium products, their ability to maintain their original appearance.

So, a series of dishes from the St. Petersburg company "Neva" "Metal Titan PK" allows you to use metal spoons when frying. They would destroy Teflon, scratch it. Titanium coating is unaffected by the attacks of steel and aluminum.

By the way, this also applies to jewelry. A ring made of or gold is easy to scratch. Titanium models remain smooth for decades. Therefore, the 22nd element began to be considered as a raw material for wedding rings.

Pan "Titan Metal" light, like dishes with Teflon. The 22nd element is only slightly heavier than aluminum. This inspired not only representatives light industry but also automotive specialists. It's no secret that cars have a lot of aluminum parts.

They are needed to reduce the mass of transport. But titanium is stronger. With regards to representative cars, the automotive industry has almost completely switched to the use of the 22nd metal.

Parts made of titanium and its alloys reduce the mass of an internal combustion engine by 30%. The case is also lightened, however, the price is growing. Aluminum is still cheaper.

Firm "Neva Metal Titan", reviews about which is left, as a rule, with a plus sign, produces utensils. Automotive brands use titanium for cars. give the element the shape of rings, earrings and bracelets. In this series of transfers, there are not enough medical companies.

The 22nd metal is the raw material for prostheses and surgical instruments. Products have almost no pores, so they are easily sterilized. In addition, titanium, being light, can withstand enormous loads. What else is needed, if, for example, an alien part is placed instead of the knee ligaments?

The absence of pores in the material is valued by successful restaurateurs. The cleanliness of the surgeon's scalpels is important. But, the cleanliness of the working surfaces of cooks is also important. To keep the food safe, it is cut and steamed on titanium tables.

They don't scratch and are easy to clean. Middle-level establishments, as a rule, use steel utensils, but they are inferior in quality. Therefore, in restaurants with Michelin stars, the equipment is titanium.

Titanium mining

The element is among the 20 most common on Earth, being exactly in the middle of the ranking. According to the mass of the planet's crust, the content of titanium is 0.57%. There are 0.001 milligrams of the 24th metal per liter of sea water. Shales and clays of the element contain 4.5 kilograms per ton.

In acidic rocks, that is, rich in silica, titanium accounts for 2.3 kilograms per thousand. In the main deposits formed from magma, the 22nd metal is about 9 kilos per ton. The least titanium is hidden in ultrabasic rocks with a 30% silica content - 300 grams per 1,000 kilograms of raw materials.

Despite the prevalence in nature, pure titanium is not found in it. The material for obtaining 100% metal was its iodite. The thermal decomposition of the substance was carried out by Arkel and De Boer. These are Dutch chemists. The experiment was a success in 1925. By the 1950s, mass production had begun.

Contemporaries, as a rule, extract titanium from its dioxide. This is a mineral called rutile. It has the least amount of foreign impurities. They look like titanite and.

When processing ilmenite ores, slag remains. It is he who serves as the material for obtaining the 22nd element. At the exit it is porous. We have to conduct secondary remelting in vacuum furnaces with the addition of.

When working with titanium dioxide, magnesium and chlorine are added to it. The mixture is heated in vacuum ovens. The temperature is raised until all excess elements have evaporated. Remains at the bottom of the containers pure titanium. The method is called magnesium thermal.

The hydride-calcium method has also been worked out. It is based on electrolysis. The high current allows the metal hydride to be separated into titanium and hydrogen. The iodite method of extracting the element, developed in 1925, continues to be used. However, in the 21st century it is the most time-consuming and expensive, so it begins to be forgotten.

Titanium price

On the metal titanium price set per kilogram. At the beginning of 2016, this is about 18 US dollars. The world market for the 22nd element reached 7,000,000 tons over the past year. Major Suppliers– Russia and China.

This is due to the reserves explored in them and suitable for development. In the second half of 2015, the demand for titanium and sheets began to decline.

Metal is also sold in the form of wire, various parts, for example, pipes. They are much cheaper than stock prices. But, you need to consider what is in bullion pure titanium, and alloys based on it are used in products.

Titanium
atomic number 22
Appearance a simple substance
Atom properties
Atomic mass
(molar mass)
47.88 a. e. m. (/mol)
Atom radius 147 pm
Ionization energy
(first electron)
657.8(6.82) kJ/mol (eV)
Electronic configuration 3d 2 4s 2
Chemical properties
covalent radius 132 pm
Ion radius (+4e)68 (+2e)94 pm
Electronegativity
(according to Pauling)
1,54
Electrode potential -1,63
Oxidation states 4, 3
Thermodynamic properties of a simple substance
Density 4.54 g/cm?
Molar heat capacity 25.1 J/(K mol)
Thermal conductivity 21.9 W/(m K)
Melting temperature 1933 K
Melting heat 18.8 kJ/mol
Boiling temperature 3560K
Heat of evaporation 422.6 kJ/mol
Molar volume 10.6 cm 3 / mol
The crystal lattice of a simple substance
Lattice structure hexagonal
close-packed (?-Ti)
Lattice parameters a=2.951 c=4.697 (?-Ti) A
c/a ratio 1,587
Debye temperature 380K
Ti 22
47,88
3d 2 4s 2
Titanium

Titanium- an element of a secondary subgroup of the fourth group, the fourth period of the periodic system of chemical elements, with atomic number 22. It is designated by the symbol Ti (lat. Titanium). The simple substance titanium (CAS number: 7440-32-6) is a light metal of a silvery-white color. It exists in two crystalline modifications: α-Ti with a hexagonal close-packed lattice, -Ti with a cubic body-centered packing, transition temperature α↔β 883 °C

The history of the discovery of the element Titanium

The discovery of TiO2 was made almost simultaneously and independently by the Englishman W. Gregor and the German chemist M. G. Klaproth. W. Gregor, investigating the composition of magnetic ferruginous sand (Creed, Cornwall, England, 1789), isolated a new "earth" (oxide) of an unknown metal, which he called menaken. In 1795, the German chemist Klaproth discovered a new element in the mineral rutile and named it titanium. Two years later, Klaproth established that rutile and menaken earth are oxides of the same element, behind which the name "titanium" proposed by Klaproth remained. After 10 years, the discovery of titanium took place for the third time. The French scientist L. Vauquelin discovered titanium in anatase and proved that rutile and anatase are identical titanium oxides.

The first sample of metallic titanium was obtained in 1825 by J. Ya. Berzelius. Due to the high chemical activity of titanium and the difficulty of purifying it, the Dutch A. van Arkel and I. de Boer obtained a pure Ti sample in 1925 by thermal decomposition of titanium iodide TiI4 vapor.

origin of name

The metal got its name in honor of the titans, the characters of ancient Greek mythology, the children of Gaia. The name of the element was given by Martin Klaproth, in accordance with his views on chemical nomenclature, in opposition to the French chemical school, where they tried to name the element by its chemical properties. Since the German researcher himself noted the impossibility of determining the properties of a new element only by its oxide, he chose a name for it from mythology, by analogy with uranium discovered by him earlier.

However, according to another version, published in the Tekhnika-Molodezhi magazine in the late 80s, the newly discovered metal owes its name not to the mighty titans from ancient Greek myths, but to Titania, the queen of the fairies in Germanic mythology (Oberon's wife in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" ). This name is associated with the extraordinary "lightness" (low density) of the metal.

Being in nature

Titanium is the 10th most abundant in nature. The content in the earth's crust is 0.57% by weight. It does not occur in free form. More than 100 minerals containing titanium are known. The most important of them are: rutile TiO 2 , ilmenite FeTiO 3 , titanomagnetite FeTiO 3 + Fe 3 O 4 , perovskite CaTiO 3 , titanite CaTiOSiO 4 , tantalite (Fe,Mn) 2+ Ta 2 O 6 and manganotantalite MnT 2 O 6 . There are primary titanium ores - ilmenite-titanomagnetite and placer - rutile-ilmenite-zircon.

Reserves and production

In 2002, 90% of the mined titanium was used for the production of titanium dioxide TiO 2 . World production of titanium dioxide was 4.5 million tons per year. Proven reserves of titanium dioxide (without Russia) are about 800 million tons. For 2006, according to the US Geological Survey, in terms of titanium dioxide and excluding Russia, the reserves of ilmenite ores amount to 603-673 million tons, and rutile - 49.7-52.7 million tons. At current rates of production of world proven reserves of titanium (without accounting for Russia) x vatite for more than 150 years.

Russia has the world's second largest reserves of titanium after China. The mineral resource base of titanium in Russia is made up of 20 deposits (of which 11 are primary and 9 are alluvial), fairly evenly dispersed throughout the country. The largest of the explored deposits is located 25 km from the city of Ukhta (Komi Republic). The reserves of the deposit are estimated at 2 billion tons.

The world's largest titanium producer is the Russian company VSMPO-AVISMA.

Receipt

A bar of crystalline titanium (purity 99.995%, weight? 283 g, length? 14 cm, diameter? 25 mm), manufactured at the Uralredmet plant using the van Arkel and de Boer iodide method

The concentrate of titanium ores is subjected to sulfuric acid or pyrometallurgical processing. The product of sulfuric acid treatment is titanium dioxide powder TiO 2 . Using the pyrometallurgical method, the ore is sintered with coke and treated with chlorine, obtaining a pair of titanium tetrachloride TiCl 4: TiO 2 + 2C + 2Cl 2 \u003d TiCl 4 + 2CO

TiCl 4 vapors formed at 850 °C reduce Mg: TiCl 4 + 2Mg = 2MgCl 2 + Ti

The resulting titanium "sponge" is melted down and purified. Ilmenite concentrates are reduced in electric arc furnaces with subsequent chlorination of the resulting titanium slags. Titanium is refined by the iodide method or by electrolysis, separating Ti from TiCl 4 . To obtain titanium ingots, arc, electron beam or plasma processing is used.

Physical Properties

Titanium is a light, silvery-white metal. It exists in two crystalline modifications: α-Ti with a hexagonal close-packed lattice (a=2.951 Å; c=4.697 Å; z=2; space group C6mmc), α-Ti with cubic body-centered packing (a=3.269 Å; z=2; space group Im3m), junction temperature?-? 883 °C, ?H transition 3.8 kJ/mol. Melting point 1671 °C, boiling point 3260 °C, density of α-Ti and α-Ti, respectively, is 4.505 (20 °C) and 4.32 (900 °C) g / cm ?, atomic density 5.71 × 1022 at /cm³. Plastic, welded in an inert atmosphere.

It has a high viscosity, during machining it is prone to sticking to the cutting tool, and therefore it is required to apply special coatings to the tool, various lubricants.

At normal temperature, it is covered with a protective passivating film of TiO 2 oxide, due to which it is corrosion-resistant in most environments (except alkaline).

Titanium dust tends to explode. Flash point 400°C.

Chemical properties

Titanium is resistant to dilute solutions of many acids and alkalis (except H 3 PO 4 and concentrated