There are many kinds of metal materials, steel is the most widely used. Steel is strong, but easy to rust; Aluminum alloy is light in weight, but not resistant to high temperature; Copper is electrically conductive, but it's too dense and heavy to rust.
At present, the most ideal versatile metal material industry is recognized as "titanium and titanium alloy". Why do you say that? First of all, from the nature of the metal titanium density is about half of steel, but the strength such as steel, and does not rust, high melting point, in line with many conditions in the application field. Also known as 21st Century Metal, Space metal, etc.
To solve the problem of aircraft flying fast, the main difficulty is to overcome the wing heat problem. As the plane goes faster, the air on the wings is compressed, releasing a lot of heat. The temperature of the wings rises sharply, reaching three times the sound, and the surface temperature can reach 500 degrees Celsius. In the past, aircraft wings used aluminum alloy metal, although the density is small, but not heat resistant, 300 degrees Celsius has been unbearable. And the metal titanium completely solved this problem. This is Titanium seamless Tube.
Titanium is only half as dense as iron, but it can withstand hammering and drawing like copper. In a cryogenic world, titanium becomes stronger and acts like a superconductor, while steel becomes weak and weak. In addition, titanium has a strong acid and alkali corrosion resistance, in the sea for 4 years does not rust, with titanium alloy for the manufacture of ship shell, sea water can not corrosion it. The "titanium submarine" made of titanium alloy can dive to a depth of 4,500 meters, while steel submarines are easily crushed by water pressure at more than 300 meters. Titanium in the Earth's crust accounts for about 0.42% of the total weight, 16 times the amount of copper, nickel, lead, zinc combined, can be said to be a huge reserve. The recent successful test launch of China's Xingxi-2 spacecraft has also caused anxiety in the West.
Titanium has a wide range of uses in high-tech fields: building rockets, missile spacecraft. Takeoff and landing, operation process can withstand the "fire" test. Titanium alloys are said to have been used extensively in the casings of hypersonic missiles successfully tested by China. Some readers are wondering, does the extremely cold temperatures of space matter? No, titanium does not brittle or break at more than 100 degrees below zero. It is also known as the "metal of the future".
Titanium is rich in content and widely used, and can be smelted in large quantities. But the production process is complicated and the cost is high. The main existence of ilmenite, the price of about 2000 yuan per ton, pure titanium after smelting is more expensive than silver, generally we do not need to use titanium metal ordinary equipment.
Of course, titanium also has deficiencies, can be said to be "bad temper", nitrogen and oxygen in the air, especially in the production process can not touch the air, otherwise, and after the product becomes brittle, not much use. At present, the ideal choice is to fill argon gas as protection gas in the production equipment for smelting!