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Facts about Titanium: Applications & Uses

Titanium is a common element that is found in the Earth’s crust. Its atomic number is 22 on the periodic table of elements. The 2 primary minerals which contain titanium, are Rutile and ilmenite which make up 24% of the earth’s crust. This leads to Titanium being the 9th most abundant Earth metal and is typically found in rocks and sediments.

Ti is a transition metal, which means that it can bond using electrons from multiple energy levels. The metal is silver in color, of low density, and high strength. The name originates from the word ‘Titan’ which comes from the Greek Mythology beings known as ‘Titans’, which were extremely strong and resilient.


Titanium is a transition metal with a white-silvery metallic appearance. It is a lustrous, strong metal that exhibits good resistance to atmospheric corrosion. The atomic number of titanium is 22 and it belongs to the d-block, period 4, group 4 of the periodic table. Pure titanium is insoluble in water but soluble in concentrated acids.


Titanium is the ninth most abundant metal available on earth’s crust; it is present in most igneous rocks and their sediments. Some of the minerals of titanium are ilmenite, rutile, brookite, titanite and anatase. These minerals are primarily distributed in West Australia, Canada, Norway and Ukraine. It is low in toxicity, but the powder form of titanium is an explosion hazard.

Properties of Titanium​

Symbol – Ti

Atomic Number – 22

Atomic Weight – 47.867

Melting Point – 1,660 °C (3,020 °F) Boiling Point

Boiling Point – 3,287 °C (5,949 °F)

Density – 4.5 g/cm3 (20 °C)

Oxidation States – +2, +3, +4

Electron Configuration – [Ar]3d24s2

Common Uses of Titanium

Titanium is a familiar metal. Many people know that it is used in jewelry, prosthetics, tennis rackets, goalie masks, scissors, bicycle frames, surgical tools, mobile phones and other high-performance products. Titanium is as strong as steel but weights about half as much. It is twice as strong as aluminum but only about 60% heavier.

Titanium is used in steel as an alloying element (ferro-titanium) to reduce grain size and as a deoxidizer, and in stainless steel to reduce carbon content. Titanium is often alloyed with aluminum (to refine grain size), vanadium, copper (to harden), iron, manganese, molybdenum, and other metals. Titanium mill products (sheet, plate, bar, wire, forgings, castings) find application in industrial, aerospace, recreational, and emerging markets. Powdered titanium is used in pyrotechnics as a source of bright-burning particles.