Titanium and Niobium are both usually non-toxic. I know that
they use titanium in replacement joints and surgical things that
you have to leave in the body. I don’t know if the dust may have
some adverse effect on the lungs. I wouldn’t think so. The most
important thing to remember when working with Reactive Metal dust
is that these metals are very reactive with oxygen. If you have
titanium or niobium dust floating around the air and you pull out
a torch to do soldering without spraying down your work area with
a water mist to bring down the dust, they are likely to explode
and cause injury. This has happened in titanium milling
operations. Can be dangerous stuff.
Marshall Jones
@Bob_Jones
Dr. E. Aspler
Managing Director
Ganoksin Jewelry Co.,Ltd.
aspler@ganoksin.com
Titanium and Niobium are both usually non-toxic. I know that
they use titanium in replacement joints and surgical things that
you have to leave in the body. I don’t know if the dust may have
some adverse effect on the lungs. I wouldn’t think so. The most
important thing to remember when working with Reactive Metal dust
is that these metals are very reactive with oxygen. If you have
titanium or niobium dust floating around the air and you pull out
a torch to do soldering without spraying down your work area with
a water mist to bring down the dust, they are likely to explode
and cause injury. This has happened in titanium milling
operations. Can be dangerous stuff.
Marshall Jones
@Bob_Jones
Titanium and Niobium are both usually non-toxic. I know that
they use titanium in replacement joints and surgical things that
you have to leave in the body. I don’t know if the dust may have
some adverse effect on the lungs. I wouldn’t think so. The most
important thing to remember when working with Reactive Metal dust
is that these metals are very reactive with oxygen. If you have
titanium or niobium dust floating around the air and you pull out
a torch to do soldering without spraying down your work area with
a water mist to bring down the dust, they are likely to explode
and cause injury. This has happened in titanium milling
operations. Can be dangerous stuff.Marshall Jones
Good point Marshall. I had Emailed Bill Seeley (Reactive Metals
Inc owner) and here was his answer:
Titanium and niobium dust - toxic?
OK! Yes, they are in the same sense that talcum powder is. The MSDS
reads about the same for any thing that can make dust. How about
silver, brass and all the others. I know of no recurring toxicity
problem. I have seen grinders in use in titanium mills and never seen
a mask
I have also heard of someone milling titanium on a small lathe,
peeling very thin peelings and chips off at high speed, having a
spark and a subsequent melt-down on their lathe-it burns like
magnesium does when thin enough and oxygen is being supplied to
it. Their headstock was apparently damaged. I sharpen titanium
wire frequently to make soldering picks and one can see the white
hot sparks from it. I have also tried to make it burn on purpose
just to see if it was possible and something I should warn people
about while sanding and grinding but to no avail-could not get it
going like that. I can however imagine fine dusts as a fire
hazard.
Dentists are starting to use titanium for braces because of
apparent nickel allergies from the stainless steel as well as
advantages in weight and strength. (Yes John Burgess I know this
is hearsay on the nickel at this point-but they are moving to
titanium braces in North America)
Charles
Brain Press
Box 1624, Ste M, Calgary,
Alberta, T2P 2L7, Canada
Tel: 403-263-3955 Fax: 403-283-9053
Email: @Charles_Lewton-Brain
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