Anyone have any opinions on Titanium?? I did pick up some bars for future speculation. I like the idea that the metal is limited in supply and geographical location. The metal has self healing attributes. I think it would make a terrific material for oil and sea pipeline transport.
Wiki says Titanium is the 7th most common element in the earth's crust and that rocks brought back from the moon were 12% titanium oxide. Maybe the value comes from the difficulties of refining it to something pure enough to use.
Yes, its difficult to work with and refine is what I read. Just like aluminum used to be as valuable as silver until we learned to refine it cheaper. Titanium is a touch metal, too tough in many ways. Its extremely brittle, so near its shear limit it shatters rather than bends. This is why its almost always used as an alloy and not pure. Its a cool metal, and I am sure it will have more uses. My nervousness in investing in it would be exactly like my aluminum analogy, what if they discover a cheaper way to refine it? I bet those who had invested in aluminum in the 19th century took a bath when the new electrical separation technique was introduced.
Yeah, I remember reading about Napoleon's dinnerware made of pure Al. I never thought about what happened to Al speculators after Hall perfected his process. Has anyone ever seen 19th century Al coins?
I had not heard of the self healing attributes. Are you saying that titanium is sort of self-repairing, or that it has healing properties for humans? I have always liked titanium glasses because they are strong yet flexible. It's definitely a good metal for many things. I ran into a guy not too long ago that was pretty big on gallium, mainly because it turns into a liquid form in your hand.
Thank you everyone. I meant to write self-repairing qualities, not healing. All you comments are appreciated.
