Titanium!

by Lacey Rae Pawlowicz

What is a mole? A mole is, in Chemistry, the gram molecule. It describes the number of particles and the quantity of mass. In fact, one mole equals the atomic mass of an element, the formula mass of an ionic compound, the molecular mass of a molecular compound, and is commonly used as 6.02 x 10^23 atoms, formula units, or molecules.

Hi, my name is Titanium, and I’m the king of the metals! My friends call me Ti. I was named after the "Titans", the sons of the Earth goddess in Greek mythology. Have you heard of them? I arrived in England in 1791 in a mineral called menachanite. A man named William Gregor found me. Although Mr. Gregor found me, the discovery of me in my pure elemental form was not until 1910 by Matthew A. Hunter. My favorite (atomic) number is 27, and I (atomically) weigh, I’m a little embarrassed, 47.867. I like groups in numbers of 4, and I have a CAS number of 7440-32-6. I am calm and happy, my electron configuration looks like this: [Ar]. 3d^2. 4s^2. My term symbol is ^3F2.

My standard state is solid in 298K, and I’m a silvery metallic color. My favorite spots to hang out are in meteorites, the sun and even some lunar rocks. In my pure state, I am a lustrous white metal with low density, good strength, excellent corrosion resistance, and I am easily fabricated. Dilute sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, as well as most organic acids do not bother me and I am also resistant to damp chlorine gas and other chlorine solutions. As a matter of fact, I am considered physiologically inert!

My, you can call me Ti you know, space group is P63/mmc and number is 194. You will recognize me on the street by my hcp, my hexagonal close-packed shape. My children, or Ti-based alloys, can range from 160 Ib/in^3 (4.43 gm/cm3) to 175 Ib/in^3 (4.85 gm/cm3). The combination of my high strength (I can bench twice my own weight!) and my low density means I have a good strength-weight ratio for my alloys. I do yield from 25,000 psi (172 MPa), CP., Grade 1, to 200,000 psi (1380 MPa).

What makes me unique? Well, I don’t want to brag, and I could, you know, but I will tell you my superb qualities. I burn in air and I’m the only element that burns in Nitrogen. (I can’t help it, that Nitrogen is a hot one!) I am also the most co-effective and dependable material for roller skate trucks. I’m the most dependable because of my superior strength-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, low modules of elasticity, and my high damage tolerance. I am also spectacular when used in fireworks!

If you’re wondering where you can find such a find specimen such as myself, the cute and lovable Ti, I’m probably in the same room as you this very instant!!! In fact, you’re probably using me right this second while you correct this paper!!! I can be found in pens, watches, jewelry, and eyeglasses. I can also be found in a great deal of other things like sports equipment: pool cues, skis, scuba cylinders, golf clubs, tennis racquets, lacrosse sticks, horseshoes, wheelchairs, and bike frames, gears, and components; medical: artificial hips and knees, heart valves, pace makers, dental implants, Ti wire, and pharmaceutical equipment; architectural: roofing, window frames, eaves, gables, flashing wall curtains, railings, and ventilators; marine: wetsuit linings, ship structures, deep sea submersibles, piping systems, submarine ball valves, fire pumps, and hull material; industrial: heat exchangers, piping systems, metal matrix composites, pumps, condensers, weapons systems, fan blades, hand tools, and compressor discs; aerospace: jet engines, aircraft frames, and space structures; and automobiles: body panels, valves, valve springs, rocker arms, and connecting rods. So, it just shows how really popular and needed I am. Without me, you wouldn’t be able to drive your car safely, nor see amazing fireworks on the Fourth of July. I think I deserve some appreciation for all of my uses. I am, in fact, superior to almost all other metals. This just goes to show that I am definitely the king of the metals!