How to Color Titanium

Titanium is a light, strong metal with a grayish color. Titanium jewelry and art have multiple bright colors and intricate patterns, produced by oxidization and treatment with electic current. Use an electrically conductive solution for the titanium. Acidic solutions containing phosphoric acid include Coca-Cola or any cola product. Alkaline solutions are baking soda or trisodium phosphate.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Titanium
• Electrically conductive solution
• Batteries
• Battery clips
• Wire

1. Bathe the titanium you want to color in a glass or plastic container with an alkaline or acidic solution. You can use a sponge saturated in the solution.

2. Attach the batteries with a wire and a battery clip. You can use standard 9-volt batteries. Connect the anode from the power supply to the titanium and the cathode of the power supply to the applicator, which is wet with the solution.

3. Apply the electricity. This voltage creates a layer of titanium oxide with colors. The color you get depends on the voltage. One 9-volt battery will give a light yellow, two batteries will create light blue and three will produce a deeper blue.

4. You can also color titanium with thermal oxidization. You need only a torch or a small kiln. Temperatures of 640 degrees will start to color the titanium.

Tips & Warnings

• Tinfoil on top of a stencil also works as a conduit for electrical current.
• If you etch the titanium before anodization, you will achieve a deeper color. You can use nitrate acid or hydrofluoric acid with ammonium bifluoride.
• Wear electrician's heavy-duty rubber gloves when working with electrical current to avoid shock. Use protective gloves, a mask and lenses when working with acids.