Why titanium is expensive?

Why titanium is expensive?

1. High Extraction and Processing Costs

• Titanium is extracted through the "Kroll process" or "Hunter process". Taking the Kroll process as an example, ilmenite is first converted into titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄), and then sponge titanium is obtained through magnesium reduction (reaction temperature exceeding 800℃). The process is energy-intensive, involves multiple steps, and significantly increases production costs.

2.Excellent Physical and Chemical Properties

• Titanium alloys have a strength close to steel but a density of only 60%, which can significantly reduce weight in aerospace applications (such as aircraft engine blades and rocket shells).
• Its excellent corrosion resistance, far surpassing that of stainless steel, makes it suitable for marine engineering, chemical equipment, and other fields.
• Its biocompatibility, with minimal reaction to human tissue, is widely used in medical fields such as orthopedic implants (e.g., artificial joints) and dental implants.

3. High-end and Irreplaceable Applications

• In the aerospace industry, titanium alloys account for 25%-30% of the weight of modern jet engines and are used to manufacture critical components such as turbine blades and compressor disks.
• In the medical field, the global annual consumption of medical titanium materials is about tens of thousands of tons, and demand continues to grow.
• Emerging fields: 3D printing technology promotes the application of titanium materials in personalized medicine and high-end manufacturing, further increasing demand.

4. Supply-Demand Conflict and Market Monopoly

• Global sponge titanium production capacity is concentrated in a few companies (such as Baoti Group in China and Toho Titanium in Japan), and high technical barriers have led to slow capacity expansion.
• Demand growth: Industrialization and consumption upgrades in emerging economies (such as high-end bicycles, consumer electronics) drive demand for titanium materials, and the imbalance between supply and demand pushes prices higher.

5. Processing Difficulty and Low Recycling Rate

• Titanium materials are difficult to process, requiring special tools and techniques, with processing costs accounting for 30%-50% of the total material cost.
• Titanium recycling requires high-temperature smelting, with energy consumption and costs close to those of primary material production, resulting in low recycling rates and increased reliance on new mining resources.