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The list of titanium benefits is lengthy. This makes it incredibly useful for a number of different industries, including the automotive, aerospace and architectural worlds. But because titanium resists corrosion, is biocompatible and has an innate ability to join with human bone, it has become a staple of the medical field, as well. From surgical titanium instruments to orthopedic titanium rods, pins and plates, medical and dental titanium has truly become the fundamental material used in medicine.
Medical Grade Titanium
Titanium 6AL4V and 6AL4V ELI, alloys made of 6% Aluminum and 4% Vanadium, are the most common types of titanium used in medicine. Because of its harmonizing factor with the human body, these titanium alloys are popularly used in medical procedures, as well as in body piercings. Also known as Gr. 5 and Gr. 23, these are some of the most familiar and readily available types of titanium in the US, with a number of distributors specializing in these specific grades.
Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-4V ELI offer greater fracture-resistance when used in dental implants. The implant procedure begins with the insertion of a titanium screw into the jaw. The screw resembles and acts like the root of the tooth. After an allotted amount of time has passed for the bone to have grown into the medical grade titanium screw, a fake tooth is connected to the implant.
Benefits of Medical Titanium
- Strong
- Lightweight
- Corrosion Resistant
- Cost-efficient
- Non-toxic
- Biocompatible (non-toxic AND not rejected by the body)
- Long-lasting
- Non-ferromagnetic
- Osseointegrated (the joining of bone with artificial implant)
- Long range availability
- Flexibility and elasticity rivals that of human bone
Two of the greatest benefits of titanium are its high strength-to-weight ratio and its corrosion resistance. Couple this with its non-toxic state and its ability to fight all corrosion from bodily fluids and it’s no wonder titanium has become the metal of choice within the field of medicine.
Titanium is also incredibly durable and long-lasting. When titanium cages, rods, plates and pins are inserted into the body, they can last for upwards of 20 years. And dental titanium, such as titanium posts and implants, can last even longer. Another benefit to titanium for use in medicine is its non-ferromagnetic property, which allows patients with titanium implants to be safely examined with MRIs and NMRIs. Osseointegration is a unique phenomenon where your body’s natural bone and tissue actually bond to the artificial implant. This firmly anchors the titanium dental or medical implant into place. Titanium is one of the only metals that allows for this integration. |
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Uses of Medical Titanium
Most all of us know someone who has required orthopedic surgery to replace a failing hip socket, shoulder joint or severely broken bone. It’s very likely medical grade titanium was the material of choice for the surgeons when reconstructing these parts of the body. As evidenced in the previous section, natural titanium properties make it a perfect alloy to be used within the body.
Medical grade titanium is used in producing:
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Some of the most common uses for titanium are in hip and knee replacement surgeries. It is also used to replace shoulder and elbow joints and to protect the vertebrae following complicated and invasive back surgery. Titanium pegs are used to attach false eyes and ears and titanium heart valves are even competing with regular tissue valves.
Surgical Titanium Instruments
There are a number of characteristics that make titanium the perfect choice for surgical instrumentation:
- It’s harder than some steel, yet lighter in weight.
- It is bacteria resistant.
- Again, it can be used in conjunction with instruments emitting radiation.
- Titanium is incredibly durable, giving instruments greater longevity.
Because of these great properties, it is used to create a number of titanium surgical devices:
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Dental Titanium
As mentioned earlier, titanium has the ability to fuse together with living bone. This property makes it a huge benefit in the world of dentistry. Titanium dental implants have become the most widely accepted and successfully used type of implant due to its propensity to osseointegrate. When bone forming cells attach themselves to the titanium implant, a structural and functional bridge forms between the body’s bone and the newly implanted, foreign object.
Photo Credit: Dentist in Goa via Flickr
Titanium orthodontic braces are also growing in popularity. They are stronger, more secure and lighter than their steel counterparts. And of course, medical grade titanium’s biocompatibility makes its use in braces even more beneficial than its competing alloys.
Future of Bio-medical Titanium
It is expected that use within the biomedical industry will only continue to grow for titanium in the coming years. With the baby-boomer demographic continuing to age and our health industry pushing for people to live more active lives, it’s only logical that the medical industry will continue researching new and innovative uses for this popular metal alloy. And with health care reform a current major issue, titanium’s cost-efficiency adds even more appeal to those looking to cut health care costs.
About the Author
Craig Schank is General Manager of Supra Alloys, a full-service titanium supplier and processing center headquartered in Camarillo, California. Craig has long experience in the special metals industry, with a particular interest in medical titanium applications.
For more information, contact us via the website at www.Supraalloys.com, call 805.388.2138, or email the author at [email protected].
Titanium is well known for its applications in aerospace and military industries, but its characteristics also make it a perfect choice for the recreational sector, too. It’s so easy to focus on the potential improvements in airline fuel economy or corrosion resistance on navy ships that we quickly overlook how it affects products we use every day.
Titanium has become a popular choice for a wide range of sporting goods because even a small amount of weight reduction can make a big difference in performance. In a competitive environment, any advantage can make one product stand out over all the rest.
The first real commercial use of titanium in sporting goods was back in the 1990s. Golf club manufacturers began using it to manufacture larger club heads without increasing the overall weight. This meant that they could provide a bigger “sweet spot” which led to more accurate shots and longer distances.
What Makes Titanium Great for Sports
In any sporting activity that involves some kind of specialized gear, the athlete is either moving the equipment or is being moved by the equipment. In either case, the lighter the items are, the more performance an athlete can get out of them. Of course, no matter how much they weigh, they still have to be durable enough to last a long time.
There are many beneficial characteristics of titanium that make it a great choice for a variety of sporting goods. These are the same properties that make it appealing in many different industries, but in the sports industries, the applications are a little different. These characteristics include:
- High strength-to-weight ratio
- Corrosion resistance
- Damage/scratch tolerance
- Low modulus of elasticity
It’s the combination of that low modulus of elasticity and the high strength characteristics that make it so appealing for so many different applications. Some of the more common ones being:
- Skis and ski poles
- Bike frames and components
- Tennis rackets
- Golf clubs
- Camping gear
- Hiking equipment
- Snowshoes
Some other uses require a little more explanation. For example:
Baseball / softball bats
As soon as manufacturers began using titanium, the whole game changed. In fact, it made such a huge difference in performance that they are now banned in almost any kind of league play. They still exist, however, and are most often used for batting practice.
Most aluminum bats have a double-wall design, which allows them to take more hits before going dead. Titanium, on the other hand, is strong enough that bats can be made with a single, light-weight wall while still maintaining its durability. However, it also means the ball will jump off the bat too fast, making it dangerous for the pitchers and too easy to put the ball over the fence.
Climbing gear
Many climbers found that even stainless steel bolts couldn’t handle adverse weather conditions for long without starting to corrode. When your life depends on hanging from some of these small, metal items, you need to know that everything is going to hold up. Titanium’s strength and resistance to corrosion makes it ideal for this industry.
Fishing equipment
Titanium’s corrosion resistance is also extremely effective for the dedicated fisher. Titanium can be used for everything from rods and reels to hooks and other tools. This is particularly important if for anyone who takes their fishing out into salty waters.
Helmet grills
Titanium faceguards for lacross and softball helmets provide the necessary strength to keep the athlete safe without weighing them down. A steel faceguard would typically be twice as heavy as one made from steel.
Choosing the Right Titanium
Titanium pipe, sheet, and other milled products are all commonly used in the sporting goods industry. Surface finishes included pickling, black, sandblasted, and others. The actual grades will depend on the application. However, Grade 5 is usually the go-to metal for many different products. It has the necessary corrosion resistance, formability, and can be heat treated to increase its strength.
Is Carbon an Option?
Carbon fiber has also emerged as an option for strong lightweight materials in sporting equipment. While it is certainly a good option for some applications, it doesn’t have all the same characteristics as titanium, though, so it may not be useful in as many products.
New Applications
3D printing is opening up a lot of new opportunities in this industry. Currently, titanium is the strongest metal that can be 3D printed, which means it’s possible to create very “organic” shapes that wouldn’t be possible through normal milling techniques.
The technology has advanced significantly in the last few years. In fact, one company (Empire Cycles in the UK) has gone so far as to print an entire bike.
This is obviously not the top option for mass producing bikes, but it shows that it is possible to use these new processes to remove a lot of unnecessary weight and design new shapes that can be used in new and innovative ways.
Most sports won’t need this kind of development, of course. (Let’s face it, a bat is a bat. A racket is a racket.) But there are some instances – like in bikes and other racing vehicles – in which it is possible to use extremely complex geometries created from CAD data to develop new equipment.
The recreational sector may not be the first thing that comes to a person’s mind when they think about titanium, but this metal has made significant inroads into the industry and will continue to be used in a wide range of sporting equipment.
For more information on Titanium Processing Center visit www.titaniumprocessingcenter.com.
Titanium Processing Center (Corporate)
51513 Industrial Road
New Baltimore, Michigan 48047
Toll-free: 888.771.9449 | Phone: 586.716.7555 | Fax: 586.716.8430
51513 Industrial Road
New Baltimore, Michigan 48047
Toll-free: 888.771.9449 | Phone: 586.716.7555 | Fax: 586.716.8430
Titanium Processing Center Texas Group
8601 Fawn Trail Bldg. #2
Conroe, Texas 77385
Phone: 936-271-7773 | Fax: 936-271-7783
8601 Fawn Trail Bldg. #2
Conroe, Texas 77385
Phone: 936-271-7773 | Fax: 936-271-7783