Titanium

Titanium About 95% of titanium production is consumed in the form of titanium dioxide (TiO₂), an intensely white permanent pigment Because of its high tensile strength

Even at high temperatures, light weight, extraordinary corrosion resistance, and ability to withstand extreme temperatures, titanium alloys are used in aircraft, armor plating, naval ships, spacecraft and missiles.

It is used in steel alloys to reduce grain size and as a deoxidizer, and in stainless steel to reduce carbon content. Titanium is often alloyed with aluminum (to refine grain size), vanadium, copper (to harden), iron, manganese, molybdenum and with other metals.

Welded titanium pipe is used in the chemical industry for its corrosion resistance and is seeing growing use in petroleum drilling, especially offshore, for its strength, light weight and corrosion resistance.

Titanium alloyed with vanadium is used in the outer skin of aircraft, fire walls, landing gear, and hydraulic tubing. Other uses: Due to excellent resistance to sea water, it is used to make propeller shafts and rigging and in the heat exchangers of desalination plants and in heater-chillers for salt water aquariums, and lately diver knives as well.

Owing to its strength and inertness to seawater, as well as its substantial ore deposits in Russia, it was the principal material used in the construction of many advanced Russian submarines, including deepest-diving military submarines to date, Alfa and Mike class, as well as Typhoon class.

It is used to produce relatively soft artificial gemstones.

Titanium is also used for the surgical instruments used in image-guided surgery.