Titanium is groovy stuff. Stronger than steel, but less dense. Denser than aluminum, but stronger. It resists corrosion, like aluminum, because it reacts with oxygen to form a thin layer of oxide on its surface. This property also means that titanium metal is not found in nature—only its compounds. It’s the ninth-most abundant element in the earth’s crust.

Titanium alloys have such a range of applications, from aerospace to agriculture, that it’s hard to imagine the modern world without it. Titanium is bio-compatible and is used for medical implants. You probably know someone with a titanium knee or hip. Interestingly, the metal is not magnetic and is a poor conductor of heat and electricity.

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂), also called titania, is well-known to everyone as a bright white pigment. Sunscreens and paints use TiO₂, for example. World production of titania is in the millions of tonnes.

Titanium cladding was used by Frank Gehry in the design of the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum (in Spain). Check it out:

Click on the image to embiggen.