Anodizing Titanium and Niobium: Science and Art Combined!

http://TitaniumRingsForever.com and Chris Boothe demonstrate the coloring of titanium and niobium through electrical anodizing. A process combining science and art, it is used in the creation of titanium wedding rings and other titanium jewelry.

When electricity is used to create colors on niobium and titanium, the process is called anodizing. During anodizing, the metal is immersed into an electrolytic bath through which an electric current is passed, causing an oxide layer to form on the surface of the metal.

Light striking the surface of the oxide layer and the metal below will result in two refracted light rays which reinforce each other and produce different colors depending on the thickness of the oxide layer. This phenomenon, called optical interference, is responsible for holographic images and the iridescent colors in butterfly wings and soap bubbles. The colors are called interference colors, and were first described by Issac Newton in the 1670s.

For more information about Exotica Jewelry's titanium creations, please visit:
http://www.TitaniumRingsForever.com
http://Jewelry.ExoticaWorks.com
http://www.TitaniumBeads.com

This video is licensed under the Creative Commons and is free for educational and noncommercial use, with attribution (CC: By-Nc-Sa 3.0).

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• titanium
• anodizing
• niobium
• science
• demonstration
• art
• coloring
• how
• to
• electricity
• refraction
• interference
• oxide
• reflection
• Ti
• Nb
• chemistry

[djyul]

Hallo Chris,

Is there a difference in the vivdness of the colours when useing different grades titanium?

How many amps does your machine produce?

[TitaniumDemos]

@djyul If the titanium is properly cleaned, there wouldn't be any difference in the colors. However, sometimes 6/4 or aircraft grade will color OK without chemical stripping. CP or pure titanium usually needs a chemical bath; otherwise the colors are quite muted, esp. in the higher voltages. You can use Multi-Etch for cleaning titanium, available from Reactive Metals Studio. We have two anodizers--1 at 1 amp and the other at 10; only matters if you're anodizing big pieces.

[djyul]

@TitaniumDemos

Thanks for the reply,I am in Holland,Netherlands.Do you have a dealer in europe for Multi Etch?

Have found some hydrflouric acid,but havent any info for dilution,imersion time etc.Can you help?

[TitaniumDemos]

@djyul Sorry, no European supplier yet. You could try contacting James Brent Ward in UK who has a different product.

[TitaniumDemos]

Thanks for the kind remarks! To northie66,the metals DO carry a current and my fingers are on the metal but because the other hand is not in the bath (thereby completing the circuit,) I don't get shocked. It's better to NOT touch the metal at all and best to use rubber gloves, especially when learning to anodize.

[coilsinamotor]

very simple process but the creativity in the jewlery made at the end of the vid is just amazing!

[SCAREDBANANA]

That is really cool.