Which Car Parts Are Made From Titanium?

The global demand for titanium alloys is expected to increase from USD 4.97 billion in 2017 to USD 6.87 billion by 2025. The market for this popular transition metal continues to increase because of its low density, high corrosion resistance, strength and biocompatibility properties. It is widely used for medical applications and healthcare, but it is also used for making various automotive parts. It is often one of the features that customers are looking for when buying a brand new car. But which car parts are made from this metal? Here are some of the most common automobile parts made from titanium.

Titanium "Halo" Part

In March 2018, all Formula 1 cars that competed in Melbourne, Australia debuted a new feature placed right in front of the driver's view. The feature is referred to as the "halo." It is a T-shaped cage designed to protect the driver's head from flying objects in the event of an accident. According to reports, Mercedes was the first F1 team to suggest the use of the halo for their drivers' protection without affecting the open cockpit design that is important to all race cars. The 30-pound halo was made using titanium. It is the perfect material to build the added protection: according to experts from TMS Titanium, racing teams must always make sure that the materials used to make their cars are heat-resistant, flexible, strong and dependable in order to ensure the safety of the drivers, and titanium fits this bill well.

Muffler And Exhaust Pipe

Most car manufacturers use exhaust pipes and mufflers made of stainless steel, fiber-reinforced plastics, common steel and aluminum alloy. But the titanium version of these automobile parts can do the job better. Because of its high heat resistance, it can handle temperatures over 400 ℃, unlike aluminum. It is also stronger than steel, which is why car owners do not have to replace their mufflers and exhaust pipes all the time. The titanium version also has a distinct surface texture that is popular in the automobile industry.

Titanium Engine Valve

Different car manufacturers are developing more affordable engine valves made from titanium. Using this reduces the automobile's weight, which can result in the prolonged life of the car's valve springs. In addition, titanium valves also allow the automobile to safely spin the car engine to a higher level of revolutions per minute (rpm).

These are just a few of the automobile parts made using titanium metal. While it might seem better if cars were built entirely out of this material - like the Icona Vulcano Titanium, released in 2015 - the high production cost would make it difficult to allow mass-production. It is also challenging to work with titanium, since it requires more work to handle the metal. Most importantly, a fully titanium car does not crumple easily, which can be a disadvantage in case of a collision, so cars made entirely of this material would be a safety concern. But using several titanium-made parts can be good for typical cars, both in terms of safety and performance.