Titanium isn’t the cheapest or the easiest metal to machine or form, but with steel-like strength at aluminum weight, the material is a natural for critical aerospace components. Consumption is up year over year since 2011, and with a massive order backlog stretching to eight years in the case of Airbus, civil aviation demand should be more than enough to compensate for declining military aircraft spending.

The above chart predicts compound annual growth between 2011 and 2016 of 14.1 percent, well over even the most optimistic estimates of overall GDP growth even for red-hot markets like China.

The pie chart shows the major import sources for US titanium metal. Although Canada is number three in global ore production (rutile and ilmenite, from which titanium is extracted), we are not major sources of finished metal for the crucial US market, although Canada is a major exporter of titanium products for pigment and coating uses.

For more information visit: www.titanium.org