How Titanium sheets are produced
Titanium sheets fall in grade 2 of Titanium production. Grade 2 Titanium has a number of similar qualities as grade 1 titanium thus making it the product of choice in the commercial sector. Compared to grade 1 titanium, Grade 2 titanium is not only widely available, it is also slightly stronger. This in addition to its formability and ease to weld makes it the material of choice for most industry applications.
Titanium is extracted from mineral ores such as rutile and ilmenite. Titanium sheet undergoes a six stage production. The Titanium needed for its production has to be extracted then it has to be purified in order to eliminate any impurities. A solid known as sponge then has to be extracted. The sponge is useful in the creation of alloy. Lastly, the desired sheet will be formed and shaped.
Titanium Sheet uses
Although Titanium sheet is widely used in the aerospace and automotive industry, there are a number of other places to use this product.These include:
- It can be used on laptops to form the shiny yet light body. Apple’s PowerBook is a prime example of laptops made using this material.
- It can be used in the architectural industry to create exquisite structures. A number of museums and skyscrapers have been made to look beautiful thanks to this product.
- Don’t let its light characteristic fool you. Titanium sheet can be comfortably used to make armor. This is thanks to its excellent ballistic properties. The sheet can be easily manipulated in the production of armor items such as helmets, vests and tanks.
- Last but not least, Titanium sheets can be used in a number of processing plants. It can be used in petroleum extraction plants, geo-thermal power plants as well as chemical processing plants. The sheet can be applied as a lining on the tanks used in the plants.
- Besides the uses mentioned above, titanium sheet is finding its way in a number of other applications and industries.