Pure titanium is a lustrous, white metal that is as strong as steel, but has a low density and an excellent resistance to corrosion. Pure oxygen is a tasteless, colorless, odorless gas and is the most abundant element in the Earth’s crust.

Together titanium and oxygen form a number of stable phases, the most functional of which is titanium dioxide. As the whitest substance known, titanium dioxide is frequently utilized as a pigment in non-toxic paints and as a component in linoleum, cosmetics, high-quality paper and false teeth. For many years, titanium dioxide has also been used as a durable protective optical coating that can be layered to create various kinds of mirrors and beamsplitters.

Recently, scientists have been considering titanium oxides from an astrophysical standpoint. Titanium and oxygen are abundant not only on Earth, but celestially, as well. Rocks obtained from lunar missions contain significant amounts of titanium oxide and bands of the substance are prominent in the spectra of certain stars. Although research is still in its initial phases, a better understanding of titanium oxide in its various forms may provide clues to the means of dust formation from the gas phase of oxygen rich stellar bodies.