In 1791, the British scientist Gregor was the first to discover the element titanium in magnetite. In 1795, the French chemist Klaproth found titanium oxide in rutile. Due to numerous technical challenges in extracting titanium, it wasn't until 1840—when the French scientist Kroll successfully developed the reduction method using magnesium to reduce titanium tetrachloride into sponge titanium—that the foundation of the titanium industry was laid. The first commercially available batch of sponge titanium was pioneered by DuPont of the United States in 1948, thus marking the beginning of the history of titanium industrial production.

　　Titanium and its alloys not only boast high specific strength and excellent corrosion resistance, but also exhibit non-magnetic properties, superior thermal conductivity and cryogenic resistance, as well as high fatigue strength. Certain titanium alloys even possess superconductivity, shape-memory effects, high hydrogen storage capacity, and favorable overall processing characteristics. As a result, the range of titanium applications continues to expand, and the variety of titanium-based machinery and components is steadily increasing.
　　In the 1950s, titanium was first applied in the aerospace industry, used to manufacture critical components and other parts for military aircraft engines. Later, it was also employed in missiles, artificial satellites, and spacecraft, significantly enhancing and improving the performance of airplanes and various flying vehicles. For this reason, titanium has become renowned as the "metal of the sky."

　　Subsequently, various large-scale chemical equipment made of titanium—such as synthesis towers, reactors, vessels, storage tanks, heat exchangers, as well as high-speed centrifuges, pumps, valves, fans, and compressors—have been successfully applied in more than 30 sectors including chemical engineering, metallurgy, power generation, oil refining, energy production, electrochemical processing, textiles, instrumentation, food processing, pharmaceuticals, dyes, salt production, wastewater treatment, waste disposal, vehicle manufacturing, and geology. These applications have not only solved a series of challenging engineering problems but have also yielded substantial economic benefits, thereby propelling the civilian use of titanium to new heights. Thanks to the remarkable progress and achievements made during this period, titanium has earned another prestigious title in its development history: "the metal of the land." In the 1980s, titanium further rose to prominence as the "metal of the sea," demonstrating outstanding performance and immense potential in marine chemical industries, seawater desalination, coastal power plants, marine energy development, offshore oil and gas exploration and production, seabed mining, and other marine engineering applications, making it an irreplaceable material for marine engineering projects. To date, the application of titanium continues to flourish and expand.