Do you know what the applications of titanium and alloys are?
Titanium and alloy are widely used in aviation and the medical chemical industry. Here are some interesting knowledge you need to know.
1.Titanium is a light and hard metal
The density of titanium is 4.51 g/cm ³, compared to iron (7.87 g/cm ³), it is much lighter, but its strength is more than twice that of iron, making it the strongest and densest of all metals. Titanium also has good corrosion resistance. Even in seawater or chemical environments, it will stand for a long time. It is estimated that it needs 4000 years if titanium is placed in seawater. It can improve performance, reduce weight, and extend lifespan, which makes titanium widely used in aerospace, automotive, construction, sports equipment, etc.
2.Titanium has excellent biocompatibility
Titanium is considered the best biocompatible metal, which means it can be well-compatible with human tissues and organs without causing rejection or allergic reactions, which makes titanium an ideal material in medical surgery, it can be used to manufacture artificial joints, teeth, heart valves, bone nails, prosthetics, etc. Since it does not cause skin inflammation or discoloration, titanium material can also be used to make jewelry, such as earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc.,
3.Memory effect of titanium alloy
After deforming, titanium alloy can be restored to its original shape by heating or removing stress. This is because titanium alloys contain elements that can undergo phase transitions at different temperatures, such as nickel, niobium, zirconium, etc. These elements can switch the lattice structure of titanium between different forms, thereby achieving the shape memory effect. For example, titanium nickel alloy has two crystal structures, one called martensite and the other called austenite, which can transform into each other at different temperatures. When titanium nickel alloy is heated above a certain temperature, it will become austenite, and its shape is fixed and cannot be changed. When titanium nickel alloy is cooled below a certain temperature, it will become martensite, and its shape is variable, which can be bent or stretched. If the deformed martensite is reheated above a certain temperature, it will recover to austenite and also return to its original shape. Titanium memory alloys can be used to manufacture devices or materials with adaptive and intelligent functions, such as eyeglass frames, braces, vascular stents, robots, etc.
4.Titanium is a metal with very active chemical properties
Although titanium appears stable and not easily corroded, it is a reactive metal that can react chemically with many elements, such as oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon, sulfur, etc. The activity of titanium is due to its electronic structure, which has four valence electrons that can be shared or transferred with other atoms to form various compounds. Therefore, titanium powder (without oxide film protection) is very prone to ignition and can even cause explosions, so titanium processing and storage should be very careful to avoid sparks or high temperatures.
