Chem. [f. Gr. Τιτᾶν-ες the Titans (see TITAN1) + -IUM. Named by Klaproth 1795, on the analogy of URANIUM previously named by him.
Cf. Beitr. z. Chem. Kenntn. d. Mineralkörper, I. 244. Diesem zufolge will ich den Namen, wie bei dem Uranium geschehen, aus der Mythologie … entlehnen, und benenne also dieses neue Metallgeschlecht: Titanium.]
One of the rare metals, never found free in nature, but obtainable as an iron-grey powder with a metallic luster. It belongs to the same group as zirconium, cerium, and thorium. Symbol Ti; atomic weight 48.1 (O = 16).
Discovered by Klaproth as a constituent of a mineral (now called Rutile) from Boinik in Hungary. The same metal had been previously discovered by M’Gregor in a mineral (now called Ilmenite) found in Manaccan in Cornwall, and had been named by him Menakanet (Crell’s Chem. Ann., 1791, I. 119).
1796. Pearson, in Phil. Trans., LXXXVI. 426, note. A new metal, named Titanium, lately announced in the German Journals.
1800. trans. Lagrange’s Chem., I. 393. The substance from which titanium is extracted is a red schorl, found chiefly in Hungary.
1812. Sir H. Davy, Chem. Philos., 430. The oxide of titanium was discovered by McGregor in 1781 in an ore found in the valley of Menachan in Cornwal, but metallic titanium was not produced till 1796 by Vanquelin and Hecht.
1868. Joynson, Metals, 28. A Small quantity of titanium improves the quality of steel.
b. attrib. Titanium green, ferrocyanide of titanium, a green pigment precipitated by ferrocyanide of potassium from a solution of titanic chloride (Watts, Dict. Chem., V. 849); titanium sand, pulverulent titaniferous iron (ibid.).
