100% Positive Material Identification

“STEM in 30” (continued)
the years due to accidents, but the plane
never was hit by enemy fire on its many
high-altitude reconnaissance missions to
photograph military installations around
the world. Kelly Johnson was identified
as the lead engineer for the Lockheed
“Skunk Works” program, which designed
and built the plane.
During the webcast Stan Seagle
explained why a titanium alloy was
the strategic metal of choice used in
the construction of the iconic SR-71.
In addition to being light, strong and
corrosion resistant, a titanium alloy
was chosen due to its ability to survive
the extreme temperatures on the outer
skin of the aircraft while it was in flight.
He said that, due to its high speed, air
friction would generate heat of 450-
1200F on the SR-71’s exterior. Seagle also
pointed out the design considerations
of the plane in terms of titanium’s
known coefficient of thermal expansion,
and spoke briefly about this history of
the “wonder metal”—an element first
discovered in 1791 in England by the
Reverend William Gregor.
Another unique on-air visual
shown by Seagle was a titanium straw
used by the popular singer and dancer
Beyonce. Various social media websites
indicated that the titanium straw, is one
of the stated demands of Beyonce and
her entourage for the consumption of
specially prepared beverages while they
are on tour.
In addition to Stanley Seagle, another
guest on the webcast was Buzz Carpenter,
a docent at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy
Center and one of the pilots that flew the
SR-71. Student scholars from Farmwell
Station Middle School, Ashburn, VA, also
were featured on the program.
Mr. Seagle, who retired last year, has
been involved in titanium industry since
the industrialization of the metal in the
1950’s. In 2001 he was honored with
ITA’s prestigious “Lifetime Achievement
Award.” He served for many years
as an executive with Reactive Metals
Inc. (RTI International) and spent the
early portion of his career in technical
research, formulating
titanium alloys. A
number of titanium
alloys developed by
Seagle are utilized
in aerospace and
corrosion-resistant
industry applications.
He eventually
transitioned into STEM in 30 is taped in front of a live audience, from the floor of the Steven
marketing and
F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA, a companion museum facility to the
focused on developing Smithsonian Air and Space Museum located in downtown Washington D.C.
titanium applications
for various industries.
After 38 years, he retired from the
business and pursued consulting work,
which included 14 years as an instructor
for the ITA’s “Fundamentals of Titanium”
workshop series.
Dr. Markus Holz, the co-chair
of the ITA’s Education Committee,
explained that the innovative STEM in
30 education program “enables the ITA
to reach out to young professionals at
an international level and enhance their
careers in a flexible, state-of-the-art
manner and support the development of
future leaders in the titanium industry
worldwide.” Holz serves as the president
of AMG’s Engineering Systems Division
and is the chief executive officer of ALD
Vacuum Technologies GmbH, Hanau,
Germany. He also is a member of the
ITA’s executive board.
Graham P. Walker, the co-chair of
the ITA’s Education Committee and
another member of the ITA’s executive
board, said the STEM in 30 webcasts
“are archived on museum’s website for
anyone to visit and watch. In this way,
the ITA is extending its reach to include
future generations of material scientists
and engineers.” Walker also underlined
the fact that the Education Committee
“supports the overall vision of the ITA
towards promoting the applications of
titanium in new and existing global
markets. We do this through a number
of initiatives such as furthering titanium
education at the university level and
expanding the Fundamentals of
Titanium workshop series.”
Stanley Seagle demonstrates different lengths
of bars to visually demonstrate the differences
between steel, aluminum and titanium. Bar
donations were provided by ITA Member, Service
Steel Aerospace.
STEM in 30 is an interactive classroom
program consisting of 30-minute live
webcasts produced to engage students
in STEM topics. Students watching the
webcast can chat with experts, submit
their questions to be answered live,
take a poll, discover related content,
and participate in follow-up activities.
Future STEM webcasts sponsored by
the ITA Education Committee include
NASA’s ongoing Mars Exploration Rover
Mission. Two robotic rovers—Spirit and
Opportunity—with many parts made
from titanium, are traversing the surface
of the Red Planet. The 3rd webinar of
STEM in 30 sponsored by ITA will explore
Moon rocks and what they can tell us not
only about the Moon but also about our
own planet.
For additional information on STEM
in 30, visit the Smithsonian Institution’s
National Air and Space Museum website
(https://airandspace.si.edu) or the ITA
website (www.titanium.org), which has a
special posting on the program. •
TITANIUMTODAY 31