METAL ROCKSTAR OF THE WEEK - TITANIUM!!

Titanium is a silver metal that is strong, resistant to corrosion, and inert. It is the ninth most abundant element in Earth's crust. Instead of occurring in large deposits, small amounts of titanium occur in almost every rock. Titanium is an important constituent in a small number of minerals. About 90% of the titanium in Earth's crust occurs in Ilmenite, a mineral that most people have never heard of. It is an iron titanium oxide with a chemical composition of FeTiO3. The rest of Earth's near-surface titanium is in minerals such as anatase, brookite, leucoxene, perovskite, rutile, and sphene. Many people know that it is used in jewelry, prosthetics, tennis rackets, goalie masks, scissors, bicycle frames, surgical tools, mobile phones and other high-performance products. Titanium is as strong as steel but weights about half as much. It is twice as strong as aluminum but only about 60% heavier - geology.com