What Is Titanium?

Titanium's name represents the Titans of Greek, and its properties are similar to silica and zirconium. Pure metal cannot dissolve in water but can be mixed in concentrated acids.

It forms an oxidative coat at higher temperatures, but at room temperature, it resists tarnishing. The demand for metal continues to grow in China amidst tighter supplies.

The export prices increased from $2,150 to 2,250/t in China due to the increasing interest of international consumers, mainly due to the weakness in the Yuan.

In the second quarter of 2019, the exports from Kenya decreased, even though the demand from existing buyers continues to increase, and there has been a significant increase in enquiries from new global customers.

Titanium facts and uses

It is a shiny white metal stronger than steel but less dense and widely used to alloy with metals like aluminium, iron and molybdenum. It is widely used in spacecraft design, missiles and aircraft.

The low density of the metal enhances the ability to withstand extreme temperatures. Most ore containing titanium dioxide produces foods, medicines, paint and cosmetics. It can be used in steelmaking where grain-size metal is used for deoxidation and stabilization.

Uses of Titanium

It is used in many items like golf clubs, bicycles, house paints, plastics, sunscreens etc. It is widely used in military, aerospace, sports, and aircraft manufacturing. Cosmetics like lipstick can contain up to 10% of the metal.

The metal is poorly absorbed by plants and animals and is not retained at higher levels. Its higher levels can be detected only when the soil is contaminated. The elemental metal dioxide and the pure element are known for a low order of toxicity.

Excessive exposure to dust of the mineral can cause lung irritation. Titanium tetrachloride irritates the skin, membranes and eyes and causes skin burns, while acute exposure can damage the cornea.

Titanium Ores and Reserves

It is the ninth most abundant but cannot be found in pure form, and its vast deposits in the form of sand can be found in Canada, Ukraine, Norway and Western Australia. Most of the global supplies come from North America and South Africa.

Some key reserves can be found in China, India and Australia, although the top three producers are Canada, South Africa and Australia. The main ore of the metal is ilmenite which accounts for 90 per cent of the produce, and rutile produces the remaining 10 per cent.

It is formed from the slow-cooling magma chambers, and magmatic segregation is used to get the different types of metals. Almost 6.3 million tons of mineral concentrate were produced in 2010, and only 5 per cent of the concentrate formed the metal.

Demand

The sponge market of China is driven by imports - dominated by Kazakhstan and Ukraine. The higher demand for metal can be delivered mostly to China, and the spot price of sponges has risen to the highest since November 2017.

Recently, the small and medium-sized producers in China had limited production, and the supplies were tight for TiCl4.