An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

A dark-gray or silvery, very hard, light metallic element, occurring combined in various minerals; symbol Ti. Atomic number 22; atomic weight 47.88; melting point 1,675°C; boiling point 3,260°C; specific gravity 4.54 at 20°C. It is used in metallurgy to remove oxygen and nitrogen from steel and to toughen it.

It was originally discovered by the English clergyman William Gregor in the mineral ilmenite (FeTiO₃) in 1791. It was rediscovered in 1795 by the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth, who called it titanium because it had no characteristic properties to use as a name; from Titan + -ium.

Titan, loan from Fr., as above.

A → diatomic molecule made up of → titanium and → oxygen atoms. See → TiO band.

→ titanium; → band.