Exquisitely crafted crystalline titanium

Titanium crystals are a special texture formed on the surface of titanium alloys, which look like blooming flowers or snowflakes, so they are also called ice crystal titanium or titanium ice flowers. Its essence is the phase transformation of titanium alloys. When the temperature of titanium alloys is between 850 and 1020℃, a phase transformation towards the β phase will occur. The specific temperature is related to the alloying composition and impurity content. When the temperature exceeds the phase transformation point, the original β grains will rapidly grow to form coarse crystals, and the observation scale will reach more than 200μm. In simple terms, it is to form crystals by controlling the temperature, pressure and cooling of titanium alloys.

The treatment methods for titanium crystallization mainly include:
Electrolysis method: A commonly used approach for treating titanium ice flowers, which utilizes ions in the electrolyte to form crystalline textures on the surface of titanium alloys under the influence of an electric field.
Chemical method: Achieved through specific solutions such as corrosion or deposition.
Anodic oxidation: It achieves coloring on the surface of titanium metal and forms a dense film layer, enhancing mechanical properties, wear resistance, etc.
Sandblasting process: Combined with etching and anodizing, it achieves the surface effect of titanium alloys.

Magnificent "handicrafts"
The earliest time when crystalline titanium products came into people's view was in 2010. At that time, the SUS gallery of Japan named the cups they produced using the crystalline titanium process TITANESS Tumbler as a national gift, which made crystalline titanium products very popular. At that time, crystalline titanium products imported from abroad were very expensive.

This crystalline titanium product has a high level of appearance, a memorable point, is unique, and has a considerable value. Besides being a practical item, it also has the identity of a handicraft. As the saying goes, where there is demand, there is a market; where there is a price, there is a product. After research by the staff of China's titanium industry, China mastered this technology around 2017. Since then, various crystalline titanium products have emerged one after another.

From the story of crystalline titanium, we can discover that first of all, titanium metal is a treasure trove. The secrets it holds behind us need to be constantly explored, and at the same time, it will also give us positive feedback. Secondly, although China is a major producer and importer of titanium materials, we still need to continuously enhance our scientific research and innovation capabilities to truly occupy the upper market of titanium metal.