Latest titanium innovations: From jerseys to artificial hands

Titanium continues to prove its worth in the global market with its growing list of applications. Gone were the days when titanium was only used for lightweight vehicles or pigments. Now, there’s an array of things that have titanium in them, expanding companies’ product portfolios.

Here are some examples of how titanium is changing the way we look at common things, from athletic wear to robotic hands:

Titanium-infused jerseys by Adidas

Adidas has always been associated with high quality sporting gear, and the global brand took their game to a whole new level by infusing titanium and aluminum into its jerseys. Called the “Supernova Climachill,” the jersey is knitted with aluminum cooling spheres, which Adidas categorizes as “Polar Fibres” and “SubZero Yarns.” According to Adidas, the SubZero Yarns have a larger surface area than the usual thread. Titanium is contained within the yarn, shunning away heat from the body.

Adidas (pictured) made jerseys infused with titanium and aluminum called the “Supernova Climachill.” (Photo by warrenski via Flickr. CC BY-SA 2.0)

Titanium Stakes Grill

Adventure-seekers are no stranger to cooking in the great outdoors. However, the process could seem daunting especially if there’s a need to lug a bulky grill around. But worry no more: Israeli traveler Roee Magdassi has designed an ultra-light portable grill that only weighs 10.6 ounces, thanks to the magic of titanium.

The grill is made of five components: a triangular roll-up grill net, three titanium stakes, and its carry-case. A periphery wire is also used to hold two of the stakes with the studded end that’s pulled through the top of the third titanium stake.

“I find outdoor equipment in general to be very fascinating and challenging. It has to be small, light, easy to operate, and durable. Specifically, it was important for me to make an outdoor cooking grill, which is usually only practical, to be an appealing object too,” said Magdassi to Gizmag. The titanium grill won an award at the Unique Youngstar design awards in Cologne, Germany.

Roee Magdassi, an Israeli traveler, designed an ultra-light grill with three stakes made of titanium. (Source)

Titanium bottle opener

An ultra-small titanium bottle opener called “PiCO” is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter. The idea of the project is to mass-produce the smallest keychain bottle opener possible that works without breaking or deforming. It’s the size of a fingernail, and costs $11 if it hits the market on June this year.

Bionic hand made from smart metal wires

Science20 reported that robotics engineers from Saarland University in Germany developed an artificial hand with muscles comprised of titanium shape-memory wire. This enables better flexibility and gives a lightweight characteristic for prosthetic devices as well as robotics. The muscles are made of hair-thin nickel-titanium alloy wires, allowing the material to tense and flex. The titanium alloy wires also allow the artificial hands to have precise movements and sensory properties.

These products are tangible testaments of how the global titanium market is currently growing, and it will continue to evolve for years to come. Chile’s White Mountain Titanium Corporation (OTCQB:WMTM) is developing a mining project that aims to unearth 112 million tons of high-grade rutile. Once White Mountain’s production takes place, the global titanium supply will increase in dramatic proportions. If manufacturers and inventors can already come up with innovative designs such as the ones mentioned above with the current supply, the future of titanium-infused products looks certainly bright.

Featured Photo by Hi-Res Images of Chemical Elements via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 3.0

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