The application of metal titanium in sports goods, from the earliest tennis racket, badminton racket to golf head, handle and racing car widely used in recent years, has greatly improved people’s understanding of titanium.
- Golf clubs, ball heads
Titanium golf clubs and ball heads are still the pillars of Titanium application in the civil field. It seems that all the manufacturers in the world have produced golf clubs and ball heads. Golf players always want to play with bigger clubs. Titanium has a small proportion and a high strength. It can make the ball head bigger without increasing the total weight of the club. In a wide range of experiments, the hitting rate of golfers with titanium ball head is 20% higher than that with steel ball head, and the hitting distance is improved.
At present, the bigger golf head requires its surface to be very thin, so it needs surface material to be very durable. SP-700, a new type of titanium alloy developed by Japan Steel Pipe Company, has high strength and good formability. Recently, it has been used as the surface material of Taylor 300 Series Golf heads, and is a best-selling golf market.
- Tennis racket and badminton racket
At present, the application of titanium in tennis racket is mainly to bury pure titanium mesh into the racket frame. In this way, not only the instantaneous inertia force of the tennis racket is improved, but also it is easy to hit the ball out even if the ball does not hit the center of the racket, which enhances the batting force of the racket.
In recent years, the market demand of titanium tennis rackets in Japan has been on the rise. Almost all Japanese tennis racket manufacturers now sell titanium rackets, which account for about half of the racket market. In order to classify the rackets, each manufacturer produces rackets according to the characteristics of titanium. At the same time, titanium-nickel superelastic alloy material and coating process are also used in the handle part of the rackets, so as to develop new uses of titanium.
Recently, the use of titanium resilience to enhance the batting effect has attracted much attention. Some Japanese companies are currently developing new titanium fibers for tennis rackets. The alloy is a shape memory alloy with superelastic function. Even if it is deformed under load, the original shape will be restored immediately after the external force is eliminated. When the material is embedded in the left and right sides of the racket handle, the rebound force can be obviously increased when the racket is hit.
And tennis racket-like, also developed the frame with pure titanium, long handle with Ti-3Al-2.5V badminton racket, and has been commercialized.
- Bicycles for Competition
The bicycle is manpower-driven because it needs to be very light, especially in racing cars considering race speed. If the weight of the car is reduced by one gram, one thousandth of a second can be gained. Normal bicycles use 36 strips, while titanium bicycles use 24 strips, which not only reduces the weight, but also reduces the wind resistance. Titanium and titanium alloys are first used in parts. Italian Campagnolo has used titanium and titanium alloys to manufacture various parts of bicycles for competitions, including encapsulating transmission pins, left-handed nuts, pinless crankshaft, front and rear hub axles, left and right pedal axles, etc.
Litespeed makes bicycle frames from titanium, which weigh an average of 2.5 pounds and cost $2,800 each. Titanium frame is lighter and more comfortable than chromium-molybdenum alloy frame, and its service life is longer. Over the past four years, industrial pure titanium tube frames made of Ti-3Al-2.5V (sport grade) titanium alloy for non-aviation use have been popular, with prices ranging from $1600 to $3500 for each pair and $2400 to $6000 for the entire bicycle. At present, nearly 50 companies produce titanium bicycles, and the United States is already the largest producer and consumer of titanium bicycles. Nowadays, bicycle sports are widely carried out all over the world. Titanium bicycles are especially suitable for the requirements of high-grade bicycle sports, so the sales of Titanium bicycles are gradually increasing.
- Competition vehicles
Because of its excellent physical and mechanical properties, titanium has been used in racing cars and limited production of bizarre sports vehicles. The application of titanium in automobile industry can greatly reduce the weight of automobile, reduce fuel consumption, protect environment and reduce noise. The characteristics of titanium material have been well reflected in the racing car.
Almost all the metal parts on automobiles can be made of titanium and titanium alloys, such as bolts, connecting rods, rockers, buffer rear brackets, exhaust pipes, return pipes, valves, valve springs, brakes, sensing components, etc. In addition, titanium can also be used for surface coating, and has been used to improve the surface performance of the brake plate, which can ensure that the quality of the brake plate is light and the service life is long. Titanium used in automobiles can prolong the service life of valves, springs and connecting rods.
- Other Sports Goods
Mountaineering and skiing equipment are developing towards lightweight and miniaturization. Titanium material has the characteristics of light weight, high strength and no reduction of impact value at low temperature. As a superior mountaineering and skiing tool material, it has been widely used, such as titanium alloy mountaineering stick, mountaineering sole nail, rock climbing fastener, ski stick, skate knife, etc. Titanium sports goods include fencing protective mask, sword, fishing rod, fishing winding frame, rowing parts, injection moulded Ti-Fe series sole nails for track and field running shoes, etc.