Titanium and Its Alloys

Titanium is an inherently reactive metal, but it performs very well against a wide range corrosive environments. It may be the best available metal for corrosion resistance, but it is also very expensive, thus it is not used for many applications. This inherent corrosion resistance can be primarily attributed to a continuous, self-healing, protective oxide film, which forms in the presence of oxygen or water vapor. The protective film helps resist corrosion in oxidizing environments. In environments that do not contain an oxygen source, however, titanium is susceptible to corrosion.