Sciam - cover

From the October 2003 Scientific American Magazine | 0 comments

Alchemy of a Supermetal ( Preview )

Serendipity delivers a process that may cut the cost of a high-tech material

By Steven Ashley   

 
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain
e-mail print comment

More from the Magazine

Titanium often ranks as the engineer's first choice as a structural material for jet aircraft, racecars, oil-drilling equipment or prosthetic body implants. And it's little wonder: titanium alloys are light and strong, as well as heat- and corrosion-resistant. The silvery-gray metal is pricey, however, compared with stainless steel and aluminum, a fact that limits its use. Scarcity is not the issue--titanium is the ninth most common element on earth--but the high cost of wresting the pure metal from the ore translates into expensive products.

This past March the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) tapped three materials research groups to address this persistent problem. Agency managers awarded separate contracts totaling $5 million to Titanium Metals Corporation (TIMET) and two others to fund parallel efforts to develop potentially low-cost production routes for titanium and its alloys.

Graphic - Get the Rest of the Article
Graphic - Subscribe     Graphic - Buy this Issue
Already a Digital subscriber? Sign-in Now
If your institution has site license access, enter here.

Read Comments (0) | Post a comment


Share
Propeller    Digg!  Reddit delicious  Fark 
Slashdot    RT @sciam Alchemy of a SupermetalTwitter Review it on NewsTrust 
sharebar end

You Might Also Like


Discuss This Article


Click here to submit your comment.

VIEW:

2,573 characters remaining
 
  Email me when someone responds to this discussion.
 

risk free issuefree gift

Sciam - cover Email:
Name:
Address:
Address 2:
City:
State:  
spacer




Editor's Pick

  • Adapting to the Freshwater CrisisForward-thinking experts are getting a better handle on the growing global water shortage and coming up with innovative approaches to ensuring the security, safety and sustainability of this resource

Newsletter

Technology Newsletter

Get weekly coverage delivered to your inbox


 Podcasts

  • 60-Second Earth     RSS  · iTunes The Jellyfish Menace
    click to enable

    Download

  • 60-Second Science     RSS  · iTunes Plants Share Light If Neighbor Is Related
    click to enable

    Download





ADVERTISEMENT
 
 


Also on Scientific American


© 1996-2009 Scientific American Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
ADVERTISEMENT