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USGS · fs20133059

Titanium: light, strong, and white

Abstract

Titanium (Ti) is a strong silver-gray metal that is highly resistant to corrosion and is chemically inert. It is as strong as steel but 45 percent lighter, and it is twice as strong as aluminum but only 60 percent heavier. Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) has a very high refractive index, which means that it has high light-scattering ability. As a result, TiO 2 imparts whiteness, opacity, and brightness to many products. ...Because of the unique physical properties of titanium metal and the whiteness provided by TiO 2 , titanium is now used widely in modern industrial societies.

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Laurel Woodruff, George Bedinger. 2013. Titanium: light, strong, and white. https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20133059

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