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Titanium is used in a wide number of industries including aerospace, the automotive industry, additive manufacturing, and jewellery making, and it is valued for being highly resistant to corrosion - particularly from chlorine and seawater. But why is it so expensive?

Titanium cannot be extracted by using carbon to reduce the ore as it forms titanium carbide making the metal very brittle. Instead, the extraction process involves several stages that are referred to as the Kroll Process. It is the complexity of this process and the energy expended in production that gives titanium its high market price. The metal must first be turned into a porous form, or titanium sponge as it is sometimes called. From this ingots can be formed by slowly melting the porous metal and these ingots can then be turned into smaller products such as bills, bars, sheets, strips and tubes. Successive re-melting of the metal still produces a high quality metal.

Because titanium has such a high melting point, the temperatures required for this process are extremely high and it is thought that the conversion of the metal to ingots accounts for around 30% of the cost of the entire process. A lot of energy is needed and the process is labour intensive. The strength of titanium means the process is slow and once the finished product is done around 90% of the original material has been lost. When used in the aerospace industry, for example, 1kg of finished titanium has come from almost 11kg.

Can Titanium be Powder?

Titanium is widely used in its powder form thanks to its strength to weight ratio, and its resistance to corrosion over time. 

 

Titanium powder is produced through a process known as the "Kroll process" or the "sponge method." This method is the most common way to produce titanium metal, which can later be processed into various forms which include powder.

 

The Kroll process was developed by Wilhelm Kroll in the 1930s and has since become the dominant process for producing titanium on a commercial scale. The Kroll process is a complex series of chemical reactions and steps that convert titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), a compound derived from titanium ore, into pure titanium metal.

What is Titanium Powder Used for?

 

Powder titanium can be used in a variety of processes and industries. Its use in 3D printing has become popular recently for the creation of automotive parts and aerospace frames, however, it has also been traditionally used in metal injection moulding, powder metallurgy; and medical devices such as dental implants, thanks to titanium’s high biocompatibility.

How Much Titanium is There on Earth?

Titanium is the 9th most common element on Earth, and the 7th most common metal, with annual production of Titanium estimated at around 150 million KG a year.