What is titanium?

Titanium connecting rod

Titanium is an extremely strong yet lightweight metal which also has the added benefit of being corrosion resistant. Titanium can be combined with other metals like iron, aluminium or other metals and elements to produce durable lightweight alloys for use in high-end machines, tools and other products including jewelry and watches. Titanium is often left unpainted as it has an attractive matt grey/beige color itself.

Titanium is widely available in the earth's crust, and it is not rarity that makes it an expensive metal to obtain. Instead it is the fact that it is difficult to extract from the various ores in which it occurs and process into its pure form.

Titanium started to be used in the 1950s in Russian military applications and other nations soon adopted the material as it was perfect for the high stresses and harsh conditions which military vehicles are subjected to. Titanium was initially used in fighter aircraft and submarines, and it continues to be used in similar roles to this day all across the world.

As always the use of new, cutting edge materials eventually filters down from the military into civilian applications. And as the process of extracting the titanium became cheaper and faster, adoption of titanium as a manufacturing material grew.

Today titanium can be found in many vehicle related items. It is often used to create high-strength engine components for high-performance and racing vehicles. It is also used to create incredibly stiff and lightweight chassis and frames for motorcycles and cars. It's still not commonly found in the everyday family car, but as always, time will rectify that.