Titanium Conductivity: Important Question on Thin Sheet Use

Summary for titanium conductivity Discussion

Low conductivity of titanium is the central concern in this thread: the question asks whether a thin titanium sheet would significantly reduce conductivity compared with aluminum, especially if swaged onto an aluminum bar for protection. The excerpt shown includes only the question and no substantive reply, so there is no answerer guidance to summarize beyond the concern itself. The practical issue raised is that titanium conducts electricity less readily than aluminum, and the asker wants to know whether thickness changes would make the difference negligible or still major. Because no answer text is present in the provided source, the thread does not establish a conclusion or recommendation, only the problem statement and intended application.

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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
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,

ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha

finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey



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