Titanium is a light, white transition that is the ninth most prevalent element found in the Earth's crust. It is naturally resistant to corrosion. This metal has a high melting point at around 1,700 degrees Celsius; one of the highest melting points of any known metal. Titanium boils at temperatures exceeding 3,287 degrees Celsius, according to Los Alamos National Labs.
Titanium braces are the strongest on the market. According to Los Alamos National Labs, titanium is around 60 percent heavier than aluminum, yet it is twice as strong. Titanium, while around 45 percent lighter than stainless steel, is just as strong, according to Lenntech.
Titanium is ductile, meaning that it will bend under pressure. However, titanium has a relatively high tensile strength; it takes quite a bit of pressure to pull titanium apart. According to Key to Metals, titanium has a tensile strength of between 30,000 and 200,000 lbs. per square inch.
Perhaps the biggest reason that consumers choose to be fitted with titanium braces, as opposed to traditional stainless-steel braces, is that their body has allergic reactions to most metals. Consumers should not have an allergic reaction to titanium braces. Adverse reactions to titanium only occur with exposure to titanium powder. Inhaling titanium dust can result in pain and tightness in the chest. Irritation may occur when titanium powder comes in contact with the skin.
Titanium has a very low linear coefficient of expansion, as compared with other metals such as stainless steel and copper. Linear coefficient of expansion refers to the length a metal expands as it is heated to near its melting point. According to Key to Metals, as it heats, titanium expands at a rate of 5.0 X 10^-6 of an inch per degree Fahrenheit. Stainless steel expands at a rate of 7.8 X 10^-6 of an inch per degree Fahrenheit.