Cost Affordable Developments in Titanium Technology and Applications

Titanium is the “wonder” metal, which makes sense as the material of choice for a wide variety of applications. However, because of its relatively high price- a result of extraction and processing costs- it is used basically only when it is the only choice; with the caveat that titanium has a bright “image” which can lead to use even when the economics are unfavorable. The major thrust in the area of titanium technology has been aimed at achieving cost reduction rather than developing alloys with enhanced properties. This paper will overview the potential areas which are amenable to cost reduction and present some applications of titanium and it’s alloys.