Titanium in Chemistry Properties Extraction and Uses

Titanium is a chemical element that is placed in the 4^th group and 4^th period in the periodic table. The symbol of the titanium element is Ti. It is a transition metal element with the atomic number 22. Titanium is the 2^nd element of the first series of transition metals. Sc is present before titanium in the 1^st series of transition elements and Zr is placed below titanium in the periodic table. Zr is also a transition metal that is a member of the 2^nd series of transition elements. Titanium does not show any similarity in physical and chemical properties with Zr although they have the same number of valence electrons and are placed in the same group. As titanium is found in the 4^th group, it is a d – block element. Titanium has a silvery grey-white metallic appearance. 

Titanium was discovered by British clergyman and mineralogist William Gregor in 1791 and was first isolated by Jons Jakob Berzelius in 1825. The word titanium is taken from the Greek word Titans which is used in Greek mythology. According to Greek mythology, Titans are the sons of the Earth goddess. The element titanium was named by German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth. 

Titanium is the 7^th most abundant metallic element and 9^th most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. It is mostly found as oxides in igneous rocks. It is also found in the lithosphere. Titanium is present in almost all living things, water bodies, rocks, and soil. For commercial use titanium is mostly obtained by extraction of ilmenite (FeTiO₃) and rutile (TiO₂) ores by mainly two processes either the Kroll process or the Hunter process. 

Two allotropic forms of titanium can be found in nature. Five naturally occurring isotopes are available of titanium which are stable. Apart from these, it has many synthetic isotopes as well. Out of its synthetic isotopes, ⁴⁴Ti is the most stable with a half-life of 63 years. Its 5 naturally occurring isotopes are – ⁴⁶Ti, ⁴⁷Ti, ⁴⁸Ti, ⁴⁹Ti, and ⁵⁰Ti. Out of its naturally occurring isotopes, ⁴⁸Ti is the most abundant isotope. Its alloys are also available with other elements such as iron, aluminum, vanadium, and molybdenum. 

Titanium Atomic Number and Electronic Configuration 

Atomic number of titanium is 22. Its electronic configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s²3p⁶ 3d² 4s² or it can be written as

Ar-Ar 3d² 4s². It has 2 electrons in K – shell, 8 electrons in L – shell, 10 electrons in M – shell, and 2 electrons in its outermost shell N. 

Properties of Titanium

Physical and chemical properties of titanium – Physical and chemical properties of titanium are listed below –

• It is found as solid at STP. 

• The standard atomic weight of titanium is 47.867.

• It has a silvery grey-white metallic appearance. 

• Its melting point is 1668 ℃.

• The boiling point of titanium is 3287 ℃.

• It shows a hexagonal close-packed (hcp) crystal structure.

• It has low density. Its density is 4.506 g cm-³.

• It is a lustrous transition element that has high strength

• According to the Pauling scale, its electronegativity is 1.54.

• It has many isotopes. Its 5 isotopes are stable and occur naturally which are ⁴⁶Ti, ⁴⁷Ti, ⁴⁸Ti, ⁴⁹Ti, and ⁵⁰Ti. Although its key isotope is ⁴⁸Ti which is the most abundant isotope of titanium.

• It is resistant to corrosion. It doesn’t get corroded by dilute sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid. 

• It has the highest strength to density ratio among all metallic elements. 

• It is paramagnetic and has comparatively low electrical and thermal conductivity than other metals. 

• It is ductile and non-magnetic.

• Reaction with oxygen – Titanium reacts with oxygen present in the air at 1200 ℃ temperature. The reaction is given below –

Ti + O₂ 1200℃→  TiO₂

• Reaction with water – Titanium reacts very slowly with water. The reaction is given below –

Ti + 2H₂O → TiO₂ + 2H₂

• Reaction with nitrogen – Titanium burns in pure nitrogen gas and forms titanium nitride. The reaction takes place at 800 ℃. The equation is given below –

2Ti + N₂ → TiN 

• Reaction with halogens – Titanium reacts with halogens such as F, Cl, Br, and I. It reacts with chlorine at 550 ℃ and forms titanium tetrachloride. The reaction is given below –

Ti + 2Cl₂ → TiCl₄

With fluorine - Ti + 2F₂ → TiF₄

With bromine - Ti + 2Br₂ → TiBr₄

With iodine - Ti + 2l₂ → Til₄

Uses of Titanium 

Titanium is very useful in various fields mainly due to its properties such as highest strength to density ratio and corrosion resistance etc. A few of its uses are listed below –

• Titanium dioxide is used in manufacturing white pigments. 

• TiO₂ is used as a photocatalyst in various reactions.

• Titanium trichloride is used in the production of polypropylene and many other reactions as a catalyst.

• Titanium tetrachloride is used in smoke screens. It is also used as a catalyst.

• Titanium alloys are strong, durable, and lightweight so they are generally used in missiles, jet engines, and spacecraft. 

• It is also used in the military, automotive industry, paper and pulp industry, and agriculture. 

• Titanium in its powdered form is used in pyrotechnics. 

• In stainless steel, it is used to reduce the percentage of carbon content. 

• Titanium alloys are used for recreational purposes as well. 

• Titanium white pigments are used in paints, white papers, toothpaste, and plastics, etc.

• It is used in fishing rods and golf clubs as a strengthening agent.

•  Its oxide TiO₂ is used in cement and gemstones as well. 

• Due to its inertness and resistance to corrosion, titanium is also widely used in jewelry. 

• It is widely used in the medicinal field as well. It is mainly used in dental implants, joint replacements, etc.

• It is used in cosmetics and electronics as well. 

Adverse Effects of Titanium 

Titanium is a non – toxic element and cannot be absorbed by tissues of human beings. This is the reason even if we ingest titanium by various means it doesn’t show any harmful effects on the body as it passes out of the body without being absorbed by it. Titanium in its powder form poses a significant fire hazard and explosion hazard. 

Titanium Summary in Tabular Form 

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Natural Abundance

Titanium is the planet's tenth most abundant element. It is nearly always found in igneous rocks and the sediments that form from them. It is found in the minerals ilmenite, rutile, and sphene, as well as titanates and numerous iron ores.

Commercially titanium is made by reducing titanium(IV) chloride with magnesium. The sulfate technique' and the 'chloride procedure,' both of which start with the mineral ilmenite, are used to produce titanium(IV) oxide commercially.

Titanium Dioxide

(TiO₂), commonly known as titanium(IV) oxide or titania, is a naturally occurring titanium oxide. Titanium dioxide, a white pigment, is used in paintings (as titanium white or pigment white 6) and sunscreen due to its ability to refract light and absorb UV radiation. 95 percent of titanium mined is used to make titanium dioxide pigments, with the remaining 5 percent used to make chemicals, metals, carbides, and coatings(According to the US Geological Survey).

It is also widely used in medicine, cosmetics, and toothpaste, and is increasingly being utilized as a food additive (as E171) to whiten or make items appear more opaque. Frosting, chewing gum, marshmallows, and supplements are among the more popular food products containing E171.