3 ms·

Simply, titanium dioxide and aerospace grade titanium alloys are not the same thing at all.

• analog31 3y ago
  True, but the article said they were not importing refined titanium alloys. They were importing ore, specifically rutile, which is what TiO2 pigment is made from.
  • dharmab 3y ago
    That part of the article is wrong- I just opened my copy of Ben Rich's memoirs and it says they needed alloy, not ore. Apparently their US supplier had insufficient quantities.
    • analog31 3y ago
      Ah, that would explain it. ;-)