Titanium

The element titanium is found in the forms of rutile and ilmenite in beach sand. Today, the rutile is generally mined in Australia, and South Africa.

To produce the metal, the rutile is combined with coke or tar, and chlorine gas and then heat is applied creating titanium tetrachloride (TiCl 4). The TiCl 4 is then converted through a chemical process to a “sponge” product which is then melted into an ingot form.