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Will the low conductivity of Titanium be a problem?

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Q. I know titanium does not allow the passage of current as well as aluminum, but will a thin sheet of Titanium have a major decrease in conductivity? I'm thinking of swaging titanium on an aluminum bar for protection

Drew Nosti, CEF
Anodize USA

Ladson, South Carolina

October 18, 2023

A. Hi Drew,

Resistance = length X resistivity / area.
(resistivity is the reciprocal of conductivity)

You are correct that the conductivity of titanium is much lower than aluminum (about 3.1% of copper, whereas aluminum is about 60% of copper), so in the case of a titanium wire in place of an aluminum one, it would be a serious problem.

But in your case the 'length' is the thickness of the titanium sheet and is very small, and the 'area' the current can flow through is probably substantial. You might not be able to measure any difference in resistance at all. Luck & Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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