Apple Card Found to Contain 90% Titanium and 10% Aluminum - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Card Found to Contain 90% Titanium and 10% Aluminum

Bloomberg Businessweek sent an Apple Card to University of California, Berkeley professor and mineralogist Hans-Rudolf Wenk to determine the card's atomic makeup. The answer: 90% titanium and 10% aluminum.

apple card front back
From the report:

But how much titanium? To find out, a Bloomberg Businessweek reporter sent his card to a mineralogist, University of California, Berkeley professor Hans-Rudolf Wenk. Professor Wenk used what's known as a scanning electron microscope, or SEM device, to determine the card's atomic makeup. He found that the answer is about 90%. The rest of the card is aluminum, according to the analysis.

Apple previously said the card's white finish is achieved through a "multi-layer coating process" that is added to the titanium base material. In a recent support document, Apple said if the card comes into contact with hard surfaces or materials, it is possible that the coating can be damaged.

Apple also said some fabrics, like leather and denim, might cause permanent discoloration on the card that will not wash off.

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

Apple Released Yet Another New Product Today

Friday March 20, 2026 2:39 pm PDT by
Apple has unveiled a whopping nine new products so far this March, including an iPhone 17e, iPad Air models with the M4 chip, MacBook Air models with the M5 chip, MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the all-new MacBook Neo, an updated Studio Display, a higher-end Studio Display XDR, AirPods Max 2, and now the Nike Powerbeats Pro 2. iPhone 17e features the same overall design as...
HomePod mini and Apple TV Sage

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Remain 'Ready' to Launch

Sunday March 22, 2026 6:33 am PDT by
Apple has unveiled nine new products this month, but the wait continues for the next-generation Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini models. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said new versions of the Apple TV and HomePod mini have been "ready" since last year, but he reiterated that Apple has held off on releasing them until the more personalized version of Siri and other...
Apple Business hero

Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform

Tuesday March 24, 2026 8:53 am PDT by
Apple today announced Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform that unifies device management, productivity tools, and customer outreach features. The service is designed to be a consolidated replacement for several of Apple's existing business-focused offerings, including Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. It provides organizations with a single...

Top Rated Comments

ChrisMoBro Avatar
86 months ago
90% titanium, 10% aluminium and 100% lame.
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hubieonekanubie Avatar
86 months ago
It’s most likely 6AL4V titanium alloy. Commercially pure titanium is soft and would bend very easily. Almost all things that are said to be titanium are titanium alloys with other things mixed in. There was probably vanadium in there as well.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TonyC28 Avatar
86 months ago
Wonder if Jony Ive insisted on throwing some aluminium in there
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
japanime Avatar
86 months ago
After determining the card's atomic makeup, the professor informed the Bloomberg reporter that he was going on an extended overseas vacation, and that he would return the Apple Card to the reporter "if I come, er, I mean, when I come back." :D
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chris975d Avatar
86 months ago
It’s most likely 6AL4V titanium alloy. Commercially pure titanium is soft and would bend very easily. Almost all things that are said to be titanium are titanium alloys with other things mixed in. There was probably vanadium in there as well.
This. As someone in an industry that revolves around titanium, "common" titanium contains aluminum and vanadium. 6al4v as you referred to. Almost anything made of "titanium" has this makeup. 6% up to sometimes 10% aluminum. This is not news at all.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Marco Klobas Avatar
86 months ago
AlloyGate.

I suggest a Class Action.

In the meantime, protect your investment ('https://kerfcase.com/products/apple-card-case?variant=29378319843402').
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)