Titanium Use

· In the field of automobiles, titanium found its first application within the engine parts of racing cars early in the 1980s. Since then, the range of applications for titanium has expanded to include its application in the muffler systems of super short-type bikes and limited models of high-performance cars.

· Because of its great strength and low density, combined with virtual immunity to corrosion in the automotive environment, titanium offers many attractions for use in automobile applications. Despite its advantages, however, titanium hasn’t yet found a widespread use because the automotive industry is very price sensitive. The cost of titanium is relatively higher than that for steel or aluminum alloys. However, for some applications titanium is attracting great interest.

· Production passenger automobile components which could benefit from using of titanium include engine valves, connecting rods and valve spring retainers, as well as valve springs. However, until recently the use of titanium in the family automobile had not progressed beyond the prototyped stage because of the high cost of titanium compared to competing materials. There are two major obstacles that must be overcome if titanium is to be used in high-volume production.

· Chemical

· According to a survey, in China, titanium is primarily used in chemical applications such as heat-exchanger (57%), titanium anode (20%), titanium container (16%) and others (7%). In the chemical industry, chlor-alkali and sodium carbonate are major consumers of titanium.

· Recreational uses

· Titanium distributors are quickly finding more widespread uses for titanium tubing in recreational products, including sports equipment such as bicycles, golf clubs and tennis racquets. Titanium sheet and wire is now an attractive alternative to other special metals used in the jewelry industry, particularly in wedding jewelry.

· In 2008, titanium consumption on sports equipment accounted for 13% of the total in China, with golf heads and golf clubs alone consuming over 1,000 tonnes. Bicycles made with titanium alloy frames are also catching on, and there are nearly 50 companies currently doing business in the titanium bicycles field. For a long time the US has been the biggest titanium bicycle producer and consumer. Spectacle frames are another famous application of titanium due to its extraordinary lightness and less tendency to be less allergenic to skin. Besides, after anodic treatment, titanium can be colorful which makes it even more popular as a frame material.

· With ever advancing technologies, applications for titanium in daily life are expanding rapidly, but still, America and Japan are the leaders in this field.