# Titanium is a metal used in aircraft engines and medical implants. It is found in the Earth's crust as titanium dioxide (TiO₂), which must be converted into titanium metal through a series of steps involving chlorine gas and sodium or magnesium. Explain why titanium is more expensive to produce than iron, which is extracted using carbon in a blast furnace.

> OCR A-Level Chemistry B: Salters (H433) — DM Developing metals · Explain · 5 marks

> Titanium is highly valued for its strength and resistance to corrosion, yet its high production cost limits its widespread use compared to iron.

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. Titanium cannot be extracted using carbon / carbon reduction because titanium is more reactive than carbon
2. A more reactive metal (sodium or magnesium) is needed to displace/reduce titanium
3. Sodium and magnesium are themselves expensive / costly metals to produce
4. The process must be carried out in the absence of air / in an inert atmosphere to prevent oxidation / contamination
5. Iron can be extracted using carbon/coke which is cheap and readily available, making its extraction cheaper / the blast furnace is a continuous / large-scale process

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