Metal of the Future – Titanium and the Problems of Its Manufacturing

Titanium is considered to be the metal of the 21st century [1]. Metal, which would have small volume density (at least 2-3 times smaller than iron), plasticity, workability, high rigidity, resistance and life span, has long been desired. It has also been required no to lose those characteristics when exposed to air, river and sea water, not to be soluble in acid or potash. At the same time it has been required to be of sufficient content in earth crust. Titanium is such a material. Thanks to its specific characteristics its application has been spreading into many areas, such as medicine (implants), space (material for space technology) [2], chemical facilities, ships for sea transport (resistance to acids and salts), buckles for mountain climbers (low density and high rigidity), etc. Titanium mechanic characteristics, however, lead to new problems in technological manufacturing. It is necessary to apply a considerably different approach to its manufacturing. Titanium and its alloys behave in a specific way during manufacturing and it is necessary to know and use this behaviour for an effective production of parts.