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Nature 407, 305-306 (21 September 2000) | doi:10.1038/35030266

Open Innovation Challenges

Materials Science: A moving oxygen story

Harvey M. Flower

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Titanium is one of the most versatile materials used in engineering. An innovative way of producing it from titanium dioxide will make the metal cheaper — if the process can be scaled up.

Imagine a metal that is as strong as many common engineering steels, yet more corrosion resistant than stainless steels and only little more than half as dense. The metal can be alloyed with a wide range of elements to enhance properties such as strength, toughness and creep resistance (the ability to resist deformation and fracture under stress at high temperatures).