Facts About Materials Used in Heat Treatment and Metallurgy: Titanium

We thought it might be interesting to provide a little education on some of the materials we provide heat treatment services on. Today, we’d like to teach you a little about titanium, a rugged metal we work with day in and day out.

An overview of titanium—what makes it special?

Since titanium was discovered at the end of the 18th century, it has held a special place in the public imagination, and for good reason. Titanium has the highest strength-to-density ratio of any metallic element on Earth. For example, it’s around 60 percent heavier than aluminum, but about two times as strong. That titanic strength really sets it apart.

For engineers and metallurgists, what really sets titanium apart is its natural anti-corrosive capacity. It’s highly resistant to most natural acids.

Why heat treat titanium if it’s already so strong?

Titanium can be heat treated for a number of reasons. It can help remove stress created when the titanium was being fabricated, help remove impurities and, additionally, heat treatment can be used to enhance titanium’s natural resistance to fracturing and fatigue, and to increase its strength.

Using heat treatment in Gastonia, NC to remove stress caused by part fabrication is among the most common reasons to heat treat. This allows you to get near 100 percent efficiency from your parts. In operations using a lot of titanium parts, this can make a big difference in the quality of the final product.

What is titanium used for?

Because titanium is “bio-inert,” it is great for screws, pins or plates that are required in reconstructive surgeries. Titanium is also used to make a safe dye that can even be used in food products, and is in fact commonly seen in toothpaste as titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide is titanium’s most common commercial form. It’s also used as a pigment in paper, plastics and paint.

Heat-treated titanium is also used in jetliners, and in many jet fighters, missiles, tanks, large ships (both military and commercial) and much more. Without titanium, it’s unlikely that our early forays into space would have been so successful, as titanium was the metal of choice from the very beginning of our rocket program, even before the Apollo program took us to the moon. It’s not hyperbole to say that titanium is behind some of humankind’s greatest feats!

Learn more about heat treatment in Gastonia, NC

If you’re looking for heat treatment in Gastonia, NC, J. F. Heat Treating Inc. is the place to call. We provide a full offering of heat treating services, including annealing, aging, quenching and tempering of all types of equipment, from basic parts to state-of-the-art machines. All of our services are designed to completely soften, harden, carburize, relieve the stress on, remove contaminants from or otherwise alter your parts and components without changing the product shape. We have a highly trained and professional staff in our lab, and nobody is better at heat treating metal than we are. We are family owned and operated, and have been in business for over 35 years. Call today and ask about our mobile pickup and drop-off service!

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