Titanium extraction and production have developed and consolidated since the 1950s, in response to the needs of the nascent aerospace sector, initiating the use of this material in applications where mechanical performance is decisive.

Today, titanium represents a strategic solution for all sectors where high strength, weight reduction, and long-term reliability are required, even under severe operating conditions.

Compared to steel, titanium offers an average mechanical strength approximately 30% higher with a 50% lower weight, while compared to aluminum, it is about twice as strong despite being only 60% heavier. It maintains its mechanical characteristics even at high temperatures, up to over 1,000 °F, and can be further improved through alloying with elements such as aluminum, manganese, molybdenum, and iron.

However, its distinctive property remains its exceptional corrosion resistance: exposure to atmospheric agents spontaneously generates a tough passivating layer of oxides that protects the material from most corrosive environments, particularly seawater. For these reasons, titanium is increasingly chosen as a replacement for traditional steels and finds consolidated use in the aerospace, medical, energy, offshore, and high-performance automotive sectors, where durability, lightness, and reduced maintenance are decisive factors.

• Aerospace: airframes, engine components, hydraulic systems, rockets, and missiles
• Medical: prostheses, orthopedic and dental implants, surgical instruments, thanks to low magnetism and hypoallergenicity due to the absence of nickel
• Offshore and marine: heat exchangers, piping, and structures resistant to marine corrosion
• Energy: power plants, chemical plants, and high-temperature industrial processes
• High-performance automotive: chassis, engine components, and lightweight parts for sports and racing cars

The main types of titanium and their most common alloys have specific properties that determine their optimal use in various industrial sectors:

• Commercially pure titanium (Grades 1–4)
  Corrosion resistance and good workability.
  Main sectors: chemical, offshore, heat exchangers, non-structural medical.
• α (alpha) and α+β alloys
  Excellent resistance to high temperatures and good formability.
  Main sectors: aerospace – airframes, structural components, hydraulic systems.
• β (beta) alloys
  High mechanical strength and easy processing.
  Main sectors: critical aerospace components, actuators, structural elements, sports automotive.
• Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5, α+β)
  Optimal combination of mechanical strength and lightness, stable at high temperatures.
  Main sectors: aerospace, medical (prostheses and implants), sports automotive, energy, offshore.
• Special alloys (Ti-6Al-4V ELI (Gr 23), Ti-5Al-2.5Sn, Ti-3Al-2.5V, etc.)
  High corrosion resistance, biocompatibility, lightness, or thermal stability.
  Main sectors: medical, aerospace, chemical, nuclear.
  In particular, grade 23 is specific to the biomedical sector.