Titanium

Commercially pure titanium is not as strong as good steel — the 240-550 MPa span covers grades 1 to 4 — but at 4506 kg/m³ it weighs 43% less, so per kilogram it wins comfortably, and the alloy Ti-6Al-4V beats most steels outright. Its stiffness is only 116 GPa against steel's 200, so a titanium part of the same shape flexes almost twice as much; frames are built with fatter tubes to compensate. It is genuinely inert in seawater and in the body, which is what implants and desalination plants are buying.

Properties

Density

4,506 kg/m³ — 4.51 g/cm³

Melting point

1,668 °C

Tensile strength

240–550 MPa

Young's modulus

116 GPa

Thermal conductivity

21.9 W/(m·K)

Thermal expansion

8.6 µm/(m·K)

Floats in water

No

Magnetic

No

What it is used for

• Aircraft structure and engine parts
• Hip and dental implants
• Marine and chemical plant heat exchangers
• High-end bicycle frames and camping cookware

How it compares

Does it rust?

Titanium does not rust — rust is iron oxide specifically — but it does corrode, forming its own oxide or salts over time.

Is it magnetic?

Titanium is not ferromagnetic. It is often assumed to be because it is a metal, but most metals are not — only iron, nickel, cobalt and a few alloys are attracted to an ordinary magnet.