Subject: Titanium and Tungsten

From: Dan Nibbelink <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 1996 11:37:21 -0700

Titanium: the health risks from forging titanium are from the alloying elements, notably chromiun 
is "beta phase" alloys such as Ti013V-11Cr-3Al. Titanium will change from alpha to beta phase when 
heated, and back when cooled; this is not a health risk. "Beta" alloys do not change because of the 
alloying elements. CP (commercially pure) and Ti-6Al-4V (most common Ti alloy) do not pose health 
risks.

Tungsten (W, atomic number 74): The punch used by Uri Hofi at the Alfred conference was made from a 
TUNGSTEN armor piercing projectile. I do not know if it was "pure" tungsten or tungsten carbide 
which is commonly used for cutting tools. One of the prime reasons that the material cannot be 
forged, and that it may shatter when dropped, is that it was formed using a powder metallurgy 
process. As a result, it is not "solid" metal, but is a porous matrix, and the atoms don't always 
have another atom to "slide" over when forced (forged)[a very simple explaination].

Something I learned from Uri Hofi's demonstration which I think is much more practical is the 
lubricant which was used on all of their punches; it let them slide thru easier and reduced 
sticking. It was a water emulsion of graphite and molybdenum disulfide. He had gotten it from 
Germany and did not know if it was available in the US. I am searching for it; in bicycle shops 
they use "Dri-Slide" which is MoS2 in a petroleum base, which would catch fire. Does anyone have a 
source for the water based product?

-- 
Dan Nibbelink
RedHawk Forge
Berthoud, Colorado
[email-masked]
http://www.csn.net/~dannibb

---

From: "Steven O. Smith" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 29 Jul 96 9:42:10 MDT

Dear Dan,

Could you restate this? Sounds like good info, but I can't make heads
or tails of where the health risks come in. Seems like two sentences
got spliced or something.

> Titanium: the health risks from forging titanium are from the
> alloying elements, notably chromiun is "beta phase" alloys such as
> Ti013V-11Cr-3Al. Titanium will change from alpha to beta phase when
> heated, and back when cooled; this is not a health risk. "Beta"
> alloys do not change because of the alloying elements. CP
> (commercially pure) and Ti-6Al-4V (most common Ti alloy) do not pose
> health risks.

--
Steven O. Smith
[email-masked]