Titanium Testing

[Richy]

Is there an easy test to find out if something is titanium? It looks like stainless steel, sounds like stainless when you tap it but seems to light to be stainless , any ideas?

[spacemonkey]

Is there an easy test to find out if something is titanium? It looks like stainless steel, sounds like stainless when you tap it but seems to light to be stainless , any ideas?

You can weigh it, check the volume by seeing how much water it displaces and then calculate the density to see if it matches a titanium alloy. (You don't want your parts to be made of pure ti.)

I think it was archimedes or some Greek chap who came up with the idea for checking if gold was genuine or not.....

[VeeTeeArr]

You can weigh it, check the volume by seeing how much water it displaces and then calculate the density to see if it matches a titanium alloy. (You don't want your parts to be made of pure ti.)

I think it was archimedes or some Geek chap who came up with the idea for checking if gold was genuine or not.....

[zimm]

strong magnet, wont stick to Ti, will probably stick to most stainless.

[Mark/Foggy]

FIM use 3% Nitric acid test. No reaction Ti, leaves a black spot if steel. God I'm an anal bastard sometimes

Best guess on a source of on Nitric acid is probably QRust from Halfords etc.

For more complex or patina'd parts (used race engine valves etc ) FIM regs revert to displacement/mass calculations.

[Richy]

The part dosent stick to a big magnet but neather will a good grade stainless, I think i have some of that rust eater stuff some were, but if its STAINLESS steel it wont stain that as well as Ti.

[Mark/Foggy]

The part dosent stick to a big magnet but neather will a good grade stainless, I think i have some of that rust eater stuff some were, but if its STAINLESS steel it wont stain that as well as Ti.

Should stain the Iron in the Steel regardless.

[2 smokes 4 ever]

Ti weighs about the same as Al so it should be obvious if it is S/steel