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Titanium Facts & Worksheets

Titanium is the ninth most abundant chemical element in the earth's crust. In the periodic table, it is the first one in the fourth column, with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22.

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Titanium is the ninth most abundant chemical element in the earth’s crust. In the periodic table, it is the first one in the fourth column, with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Though it is one of the most abundant elements, it is relatively rare and makes up less than 1% of the earth’s crust by mass. It is a silvery gray, lightweight metal that is naturally resistant to corrosion. It is used in body piercings, wristwatches, glasses, joint replacements, engines, airliners, nuclear waste containers, and jewelry, among other applications.

See the fact file below for more information on Titanium, or you can download our 27-page Titanium worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ORIGINS

  • Titanium is named after the Titans, the sons of the Earth goddess in Greek mythology. 
  • In other words, the Titans are the gods of the Earth. 
  • Titanium was initially called manaccanite by the first discoverer.
  • It was in 1791 when William Gregor, a British clergyman, and mineralogist, first discovered the metal.
  • He reported his discovery to the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall and subsequently published the finding in Crell’s Annalen, a German chemistry journal.
  • But it was not Gregor who named the metal titanium.
  • German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth independently discovered the metal in 1795 and took inspiration from the Greek gods in naming it as such.
  • Klaproth credited Gregor’s earlier discovery in his work.
  • He credited Gregor with the titanium’s discovery.

HISTORY

  • A century later, in 1910, New Zealand-born metallurgist Matthew Hunter, who was working for General Electric in New York, became the first person to distill titanium into its pure form.
  • He developed the Hunter process, a technique that reduces titanium tetrachloride with sodium in an airtight steel cylinder with a temperature of 1,000 °C, ultimately producing 99.9% pure titanium.
  • In 1932, William J. Kroll began creating a technique that made extracting titanium viable on an industrial scale.
  • The Kroll process was solidified in the 1930s, which included the combination of titanium tetrachloride with calcium to produce ductile titanium.
  • In the 1950s and 1960s, the Soviet Union innovated titanium’s use in military and submarine applications for Cold War-related programs.
  • The Soviet Union sold its innovation to the U.S. government.
  • The U.S. government considered this strong and light metal a strategic material to be used in high-performance jet engines during the Cold War.

QUICK FACTS

  • Titanium is the ninth most abundant element in the earth’s crust.
  • Titanium is classified as a transition metal like gold, copper, iron, and silver, which are metals that form bonds using electrons from more than one of their shells.
  • Titanium has an atomic number of 22 and is represented by the symbol Ti in the periodic table.
  • It is the first element in the fourth column of the periodic table.
  • Titanium atoms have 22 electrons and 22 protons.
  • Its atomic weight is 47.867, also seen in the periodic table.
  • It has a relatively low density of 4.506 grams per centimeter cubed.
  • Titanium’s boiling point is 3,287 °C (5,949 °F), and its melting point is 1,668 °C (3,034 °F).
  • Titanium only occurs bonded with other elements; it does not occur naturally in its pure state. 
  • It occurs naturally in plants, the human body, and seawater.
  • Most titanium on earth is found in igneous (volcanic) rocks. Nearly every igneous rock contains titanium.
  • It is also found outside the earth’s crust: in meteors, the moon, the sun, and other stars.
  • It is also the only element that will combust in pure nitrogen gas.

CHARACTERISTICS

  • At first look, titanium appears to be a shiny metal with a silvery gray color at room temperature.
  • The metal is as strong as it is hard, yet it is also very light.
  • Titanium is as strong as steel, but because of its high strength-to-weight ratio, it weighs less than steel (about 45%).
  • Titanium is twice as strong as aluminum, though it is 60% more dense.
  • One of titanium’s most known assets is that it has a high resistance to corrosion and rust.
  • Titanium would reportedly corrode to the thickness of a sheet of paper after 4,000 years in seawater.
  • Pure titanium is ductile.
  • It has a high melting point like other metals.
  • The magnetism of titanium is weak; titanium is paramagnetic, meaning it is attracted weakly by an externally applied magnetic field.
  • However, unlike most other metals, it is not a very good conductor of electricity and heat.
  • Titanium is found significantly and primarily in minerals such as ilmenite, rutile, and sphene. 
  • Titanium has different grades; the most ductile is grade 1 titanium, and the most corrosion-resistant is grade 4 titanium.

APPLICATION

  • Titanium production plants are mainly located in China (the world’s largest producer), Japan, Russia, and Kazakhstan.
  • China also has the largest titanium reserves in the world.

TITANIUM DIOXIDE

  • The predominant use of titanium is in the form of titanium(IV) oxide.
  • Approximately 95% of purified titanium is used to make titanium(IV) oxide or titanium dioxide.
  • Titanium dioxide is a bright white pigment used in house and artists’ paint.
  • It is also used in sunscreen lotions because of its ability to prevent ultraviolet (UV) light from reaching the skin.
  • It is also used in cosmetics, toothpaste, paper, plastics, soaps, and other products.
  • As an effective reflector of infrared radiation, titanium is used in solar observatories where there is poor visibility because of heat.

AIRCRAFT AND SHIPS

  • Another primary use of titanium is for aircraft, which must be made of material that is strong, lightweight, and non-corrosive.
  • It is also a strategic material to build ships because titanium is resistant to seawater, and its corrosion rate is immensely slow.

NUCLEAR WASTE CONTAINERS

  • Because of its high corrosion resistance, titanium is ideal for long-term nuclear waste storage.
  • Titanium containers may last up to 100,000 years.

MEDICAL USE

  • In the 1950s, titanium was developed for surgical use, such as prosthetics, and joint replacements, and biomedical implants, such as teeth. 
  • It is ideal for use in the human body because of its non-toxicity, nonreactivity, and high resistance to corrosion.

JEWELRY

  • Jewelry can be made of titanium, as it is non-toxic and not absorbed by the body.
  • In fact, titanium jewelry lasts and looks as good as new for a long time.
  • Unlike gold jewelry, titanium jewelry does not easily melt, break, or bend at room temperature.
  • Some 24k gold is an alloy of gold and titanium.

OTHER USES

  • Titanium is also used for 3D printing and for hearing enhancement materials.

Titanium Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Titanium across 27 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Titanium. Titanium is the ninth most abundant chemical element in the earth’s crust. In the periodic table, it is the first one in the fourth column, with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Titanium Facts
  2. Choice Check
  3. Fact or Forged?
  4. Made of Titanium Dioxide
  5. Blanks in History
  6. Biomedical Use
  7. Transition Metal Search
  8. Shared Characteristics
  9. Science in a Song
  10. Element Comparison
  11. My Titan Creation

Frequently Asked Questions

What is titanium, and where is it found?

Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It is a transition metal known for its high strength, low density, and excellent corrosion resistance. Titanium is primarily found in minerals such as ilmenite and rutile, which are often extracted from beach sands or igneous rocks.

What are the most common uses of titanium?

Titanium has a wide range of applications, primarily due to its remarkable properties. Some common uses include aerospace components (aircraft frames, engines, and spacecraft), medical implants (such as dental implants and joint replacements), sports equipment (bicycle frames, golf clubs), and chemical processing equipment. It is also used in the production of high-quality paints, pigments, and in the aerospace industry for making lightweight alloys.

Why is titanium often used in medical implants?

Titanium is favored for medical implants because it is biocompatible, meaning it does not elicit an immune response or toxic reactions when implanted in the human body. It also has excellent strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and durability, making it suitable for long-term use in implants like hip and knee replacements and dental implants.

How is titanium extracted and processed?

Titanium is typically extracted from its mineral ores, primarily ilmenite and rutile, through a process called the Kroll process or the Hunter process. These methods involve reducing titanium tetrachloride with magnesium to produce titanium sponge, which can then be melted and formed into various shapes. After processing, titanium can be further alloyed with other metals, such as aluminum and vanadium, to enhance its properties for specific applications.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using titanium?

Advantages of using titanium include:

  • High strength and low density, making it strong yet lightweight.
  • Exceptional corrosion resistance, even in harsh environments.
  • Biocompatibility for medical and dental applications.
  • High melting point and resistance to extreme temperatures.

Disadvantages include:

  • High cost of production due to the complex extraction and processing methods.
  • Difficulty in machining and forming, which can increase manufacturing costs.
  • Limited availability compared to more common metals like steel and aluminum.
  • The potential for embrittlement at high temperatures, limiting its use in certain applications.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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