Titanium mouthpiece

[Rick Denney]

Can somebody comment about the corrosion resistance of titanium? Seems to me that's the important issue, and that's what make stainless steel attractive.

Titanium is highly reactive, and forms a very thin, nearly invisible oxide layer almost immediately. Once this oxide layer has formed (which happens without you having to do anything), the oxide protects the metal from further oxidation, and it becomes extremely stable. It's an excellent metal, therefore, for use in high-corrosion environments--even better than stainless steel and much better than aluminum.

In terms of mechanical properties, it is between aluminum and steel in strength and stiffness, with the same specific stiffness (i.e., stiffness per weight) as both aluminum and steel.

But it is quite difficult to machine, with a pronounced tendency to gall and to dull cutting tools. I understand that titanium sourced from Russia is a lot cheaper, so this might make an alternative source to allow a lower price.

Rick "always entertained by mouthpiece fashion" Denney

[Rick Denney]

Aluminum is not good for mouthpieces, absorbes vibration

This is ironic: In the bicycle world, aluminum has the reputation of not absorbing enough vibration.

But aluminum's specific stiffness is the same as steel, so an aluminum part that is massive enough to have the same strength as a steel part will have exactly the same stiffness (and about the same weight). If machined to the same shape, aluminum will have about one-third the stiffness and weight of steel. While this will change its resonant frequencies, it will not make it less elastic. Like all stiff metals, aluminum is highly elastic below its yield strength. If it weren't for its low fatigue limit, aluminum could be used for springs. Thus, the statement above seems to me a mis-characterization. I would suggest more accurate wording: Aluminum resonates at the wrong frequencies to make an effective mouthpiece.

Titanium is between aluminum and steel in its mechanical properties. Pound for pound, titanium has exactly the same stiffness as both aluminum and steel.

When I ring a mouthpiece, the resonance I hear is very high in frequency, so it seems to me its effect on tuba frequencies should be very subtle indeed. But subtleties keep the tuba world turning.

Rick "who thinks stainless mouthpieces would be exceptionally durable" Denney

[Chuck(G)]

I and my wife have our wedding rings made out of Titanium. As fas as that goes before my wife got us this set I destroyed 2 gold weeding rings while working or druming and shooting I just seemed to have the rings bent to hell and high water before i knew it. My Titanium however has held up like a champ.

Just my centavios worth.

How about nitinol:

Cool Nitinol Toy

Bend the living daylights out of it and just heat it up again to get back the original shape. I wish tuba bells were made of the stuff.