titanium Chem.
(taɪˈteɪnɪəm)
[f. Gr. τιτᾶν-ες the Titans (see Titan1) + -ium. Named by Klaproth 1795, on the analogy of uranium previously named by him.
Cf. Beitr. z. Chem. Kenntn. d. Mineralkörper I. 244 Diesem zufolge will ich den Namen, wie bei dem Uranium geschehen, aus der Mythologie..entlehnen, und benenne also dieses neue Metallgeschlecht: Titanium.]
a. One of the rare metals, never found free in nature, but obtainable as an iron-grey powder with a metallic lustre. It belongs to the same group as zirconium, cerium, and thorium. Symbol Ti; atomic weight 48·1 (O = 16).
Discovered by Klaproth as a constituent of a mineral (now called Rutile) from Boinik in Hungary. The same metal had been previously discovered by M'Gregor in a mineral (now called Ilmenite) found in Manaccan in Cornwall, and had been named by him Menakanet (Crell's Chem. Ann. 1791, I. 119).
| 1796 Pearson in Phil. Trans. LXXXVI. 426 note, A new metal, named Titanium, lately announced in the German Journals. 1800 tr. Lagrange's Chem. I. 393 The substance from which titanium is extracted is a red schorl, found chiefly in Hungary. 1812 Sir H. Davy Chem. Philos. 430 The oxide of titanium was discovered by McGregor in 1781 in an ore found in the valley of Menachan in Cornwal, but metallic titanium was not produced till 1796 by Vanquelin and Hecht. 1868 Joynson Metals 28 A small quantity of titanium improves the quality of steel. |
b. attrib.titanium dioxide, the oxide TiO
2, occurring naturally as the minerals rutile, anatase, and brookite, and used
esp. as a white pigment and opacifying agent;
titanium green, ferrocyanide of titanium, a green pigment precipitated by ferrocyanide of potassium from a solution of titanic chloride (Watts
Dict. Chem. V. 849);
titanium oxide, any oxide of titanium,
esp. the dioxide;
titanium sand, pulverulent titaniferous iron (Watts
Dict. Chem. V. 849);
titanium sponge, titanium in a porous form;
titanium white, a white pigment consisting chiefly or wholly of titanium dioxide.
| 1877 Jrnl. Chem. Soc. I. 688 Sulphate of titanium dioxide, TiS2O8 + 3H2O, is a yellow resinous mass. 1963 R. R. A. Higham Handbk. Papermaking iv. 94 Titanium dioxide has the property of extreme chemical inertness, i.e., it is not affected by acids, alkalis, or the common solvents at standard temperature and pressure and is insoluble in water. 1982 Sci. Amer. Oct. 58 (Advt.), Titanium dioxide makes the plastic of your coffee cup opaque and the color of your telephone deep and bright. |
| 1885 Jrnl. Chem. Soc. XLVIII. i. 640 The author describes the hydrated titanium oxide with phosphoric acid and various earths from the diamond diggings of Diamantina, in Brazil. 1955 Sci. News Let. 9 Apr. 233/1 A liquid at ordinary temperatures, titanium tetrachloride changes to smoky fumes of titanium oxide when air touches it. 1977 Whitaker's Almanack 1978 152/2 The M stars, like Betelgeuse, show very complex molecular spectra, chiefly of titanium oxide. |
| 1950 Metal Industry Handbk. & Directory (ed. 39) i. 39/1 The resultant mixture of molten magnesium chloride, unused magnesium and titanium sponge is allowed to cool..and the product is bored out as chips. 1978 Jrnl. R. Soc. Arts CXXVI. 679/1 The extraction method normally used now is to chlorinate rutile (TiO2), turning it into titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) liquid, which is then reduced with magnesium or sodium to produce titanium sponge which can subsequently be melted and cast into ingots. |
| 1920 Chem. Abstr. XIV. 355 (heading) Titanium and titanium white. 1934 H. Hiler Notes on Technique of Painting ii. 101 Titanium white is the oxide of a metal which until lately was considered as a curiosity in the laboratory. |