itanium (Ti), chemical element, a silvery gray metal of Group 4 (IVb) of the periodic table. Titanium is a lightweight, high-strength, low-corrosion structural metal and is used in alloy form for parts in high-speed aircraft.

Atomic Structure:

Titanium Atomic Number and Electronic Configuration Ar-Ar 3d2 4s2. It has 2 electrons in K – shell, 8 electrons in L – shell, 10 electrons in M – shell, and 2 electrons in its outermost shell N.

The story of titanium starts in the late 18th century, not with a scientist, but with a clergyman! In 1791, William Gregor, an amateur geologist in England, stumbled upon an unknown element while studying black sand. He named it "menachanite," unaware of the hidden treasure he held. It wasn't until almost a century later, in 1887, that German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth identified and named the pure element "titanium" after the mythological Titans known for their strength.

Isolating titanium, however, proved even more challenging. Early attempts resulted in brittle, impure forms. It wasn't until the 1930s and the development of the Kroll process that scientists could finally produce usable metallic titanium. This breakthrough paved the way for its modern applications.

Titanium's properties quickly turned heads. Despite being lighter than steel, it boasts remarkable strength and corrosion resistance. This unique combination made it perfect for the aerospace industry, where weight reduction is crucial. From jet engines to airframes, titanium became a key player in aircraft design.

But its applications extend far beyond the skies. In medicine, titanium's biocompatibility makes it ideal for prosthetics and implants, offering durability and integration with the human body. In everyday life, you might find titanium in sports equipment, bicycles, and even jewelry, valued for its strength, lightness, and aesthetic appeal.

As research continues, the potential of titanium keeps expanding. From exploring its use in energy storage to delving into its properties at extreme temperatures, this versatile element continues to surprise and inspire scientists and engineers around the world.

Scandium is mainly used for research purposes. It has, however, great potential because it has almost as low a density as aluminium and a much higher melting point. An aluminium-scandium alloy has been used in Russian MIG fighter planes, high-end bicycle frames and baseball bats.

Some of the benefits of using scandium are:

Scandium, a silver-white metallic element, might be rare, but it pops up in surprising places! It's found in trace amounts in many minerals, but commercially, it's usually extracted as a byproduct from mining other metals like titanium and uranium. While Madagascar and Scandinavia boast rare minerals with concentrated scandium, thortveitite being the champion, most comes from reprocessing waste materials from other mining operations.

Scandium, a silvery-white metal, boasts several unique properties that set it apart. It's remarkably lightweight, yet exceptionally strong, making it an attractive candidate for high-performance alloys used in airplanes and even baseball bats. Scandium also readily conducts electricity and heat, making it useful in some types of lighting and potential future applications like fuel cells. But perhaps its most interesting property is its rarity. Despite being the 23rd most abundant element in Earth's crust, it's scattered in trace amounts, making its extraction a fascinating scientific and engineering challenge.