Evening star., 1948-02-23
Stars, Men and Atoms
Titonium Outlook Bright
As Navy Tests Succeed
Common Metal of Earth, Strong as Steel,
Now Can Be Rolled Into Plates
By Thomas n, Henry

By Thomas r.. Henry
The earth's fourth most abundant metal,
strong as structural steel but weighing only
about half as much and far more resistant
to rust, now Is on the horizon.
1t is titanium, silyery metal known for
almost $50 years but hitherto used only in
paints, vacuum tubes and false teeth Out
in the universe giant stars are composed
largely Of this element. When the earth was
formed huge deposits were left in the crust,
some Of the richest in the United States and
Canada.
The metal is no more dificult to extract
from the rocks in which it occurs than
aluminium or magnesium The difficulty has
been that it was extremely brittle 1t could
wire like iron. This was because large amounts
of oxygen and nitrogen were mixed with it
and there was no known way of separating
them.
Naval Experiments Successful.
For the first time this has been overcome,
according to scientists of the Office of Naval
Research who are particularly interested in
titanium because of the possibilities it offers
for ship construction. Compounds probably
can be made as strong as steel with little more
research contracts underway in the past year
and the Bureau of Mines has in operation q
pilot plant for titanium extraction in Utah,
where some of the richest American deposits
are found.
It now can be obtained for about dollar a
pound Prospects are that with present
methods this price can be cut in half-still
very high price compared with good quality
structural steel which can be produced for
about five cents pound. But the work on
titanium has barely started.
A "ductile" titanium has been produced, the
Navy announces. 1t can be drawn into fine
wires with very high electrical resistance. Its
strength is about the same as ordinary steel
or aluminium bronze, and much greater than
that of either magnesium or aluminium. 1t Is
especially good against rusting in salt water,
matter of particular naval interest.
Properties Long Recognized.
The properties of titanium, as well as Its
abundance, long have been recognized. The
difficulties of extraction in a pure state, how
ever, have made it almost a laboratory curl
osity as was aluminium for more than century.
It's very name - "titanium" from the giant
Titan-is due to the strength with which it
kept in combination with nitrogen and oxygen.
Production of ductile titanium had to wait
on the methods developed for the extraction OF
pure magnesium, Earth's third most abundant
metal, which became of extreme Importance
during the war. The process is carried out
under very high pressures in an atmosphere
of some inert gas, such as helium or neon.
1t has one outstanding disadvantage. At very
high temperatures it is very prone to absorb
nitrogen or oxygen again and become brittle.
1t is expected that further experiment will
overcome this difficulty.
The United States has literally millions Of
tons of titanium. Canada is likely to become
the worlds great storehouse. There is little
doubt but that in tine next decade it will
become one of the most familiar of all metals.
It is far more abundant than lead or copper.
1t is difficult to describe it other than as
a metal" There is nothing else on earth
quite like 1t. Its nearest relative is another
metal, chromium, with which it always is found
closely combined and which has many OF
the same properties. The cost of obtaining
titanium would be greatly reduced if some
way could be found of utilizing its companion
mineral
The titanium battleship- at least the
titanium destroyer-is a definite possibility.