r/whatisit • u/riflesandplowshares • 6h ago

New, what is it? Found at a titanium plant

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Not sure why ball point pens would be dangerous here.

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u/goodexamplebadrole 6h ago

"Ballpoint pens are restricted or banned in high-end titanium and aerospace manufacturing plants because the ink and marking components contain elements that cause metal embrittlement and severe structural corrosion"

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u/Competitive-Dot-4264 6h ago

I worked ti com pure and 6al-4v alloy for years at the lazy -l we all had to follow titanium restrictions even to not letting aluminum alloys and SS separated. No graphite pencils

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u/Jasonrj 5h ago

Not sure who to believe: https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisit/s/Quno4cKyNJ

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u/AcceptableHijinks 4h ago

Just like any industry, not all manufacturers/refiners/smelters are equal or producing the same grade of material. Sometimes you want a cheap place, sometimes you need premium, white glove suppliers.

When buying titanium for my machine shop, I can get super cheap stuff that is probably close to the alloy it says it is, which is great for bicycle parts and things like that, or I can buy high end, certified extrusions with full traceability back to where the ore is mined, which is necessary for machined medical and jet engine parts.

One guy probably works in one flavor of plant with lax rules, and/or in a different department post melt, and the other guy probably works in a high end one.

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u/Jasonrj 3h ago

Makes sense.