Advantages And Disadvantages Of Titanium

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Abstract Titanium, a transition metal, was first discovered by the Reverend William Gregor in 1791 after he spotted a black, magnetic sand in a stream in the parish of Mannacan in Cornwall, England. When the strange sand was first analyzed, it consisted mostly of magnetite (Fe3O4) along with an impure oxide of the titanium metal. The pure element was initially secluded by Matthew A. Hunter in 1910 through heating titanium (IV) chloride with sodium to red-heat in a pressure cylinder. [1] It has the symbol “Ti” in the periodic table with 22 as its proton number. The metal looks lustrous and white in its pure form, having a low density and also a good strength. It is highly resistant to corrosion and leaving it in sea water for 4000 years would…show more content…
It is added to steel to increase its strength and resistivity towards corrosion. Another advantage of having an alloy of titanium and steel is that it reduces the density of the material by half of that of pure steel. This is also the reason why the alloy is widely used for spacecraft and aircraft applications as their bodies and engines. It is also known to be used in armored vehicles and vests, helmets, jewelry, eyeglasses, bicycles, tennis rackets and other sports equipment. Their industrial uses include in power-generating plants and desalination plants and as roofs, ceilings, columns, and walls of buildings. Titanium alloys do not react with human bodies (biocompatible) and because of this their usage is popular in surgical implants. They are used to create artificial hips, pins for setting bones, and tooth implants. [5] About 95% of titanium production is in the form of titanium dioxide (titania) and it can be made into gemstones, sapphires, and rubies. Paints containing titanium dioxide (white pigment) can perfectly reflect infrared radiation, absorb UV radiation and is permanent. This is the reason why it is also used in solar observatories where heat causes poor visibility. [6] Amusingly, titanium dioxide is used to form letters in the sky during air shows. The property that results to this use is because the compound reacts with moisture in the air to form a dense white…show more content…
The following reaction takes place leaving a mixture of sulfates. After which the iron is removed from the solution so it does not spoil the color of the final product. This is done by reacting the solution with iron to convert iron(III) ions to iron(II) ions which form crystals of iron(II) sulfate which can be easily filtered off. • In the second step titanyl sulfate undergoes hydrolysis carried out to give insoluble but hydrated titanium dioxide. The temperature during this process is 110 degree Celsius. TiOSO4 + (n+1)H2O → TiO2•nH2O + H2SO4 • In the final step the hydrated titanium dioxide is heated to produce anhydrous titanium dioxide this can be achieved by heating the residue in large rotatory kilns which are heated to a 1000 degrees. The heat also decomposes any remaining sulfuric acid and the dried pure product is obtained. The titanium dioxide produced can be coated with silica to make sure the dioxide mixes easily with liquids inorder for it to be used for water based paints. CHLORIDE

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