Titanium Padlock
Periodic Table Poster   My periodic table poster is now available!Periodic Table PosterPeriodic Table PosterPeriodic Table Poster
Padlock.
This padlock is sold as a "Titanium Series" rustproof, high security pad lock. It took me about two minutes to drill the rivets out and open it, but I admit that was using a drill press and a special-grade very hard drill bit.

Unfortunately, the term "Titanium" is used in some sort of poetic sense unrelated to the metallurgical composition of the lock. The cladding around the padlock is, according to analysis by x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy at the Center for Microanalysis of Materials, University of Illinois (partially supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under grant DEFG02-91-ER45439), ordinary stainless steel (i.e. mostly iron with nickel and chromium added to inhibit rust). There is no titanium whatsoever in this padlock. On the plus side, the stainless steel is probably stronger than titanium would be, at least at the sorts of temperatures the lock is likely to experience.

Source: Hardware Store
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 26 February, 2003
Price: $12
Size: 3"
Purity: >90%
Titanium