Ceratanium

A Ceratanium shield in Mega Man ZX Advent.

Ceratanium, also known as ceramic titanium, Ceramic Chitin and in Japan as "Ceramical Titanium" (セラミカルチタン, Seramikaru Chitan), is a lightweight and sturdy material from the Mega Man series. This unique material appears to be much more durable than standard titanium, being able to resist severe impacts.

After Dr. Light refined Ceratanium for use in Cut Man's Rolling Cutter and completed his six industrial robots, he decided to research the material on his free time, managing to create an improved version that he dubbed the "Light Ceramical Titanium Alloy" (ライトセラミカルチタン合金, Raito Seramikaru Chitan Gōkin). His first sample took 16 days to be completed, being processed in a nanoscale prism structure to have four times the strength and eight times the toughness. Due to the difference in the surface processing, it can concentrate high density sunlight, which in turn can be used to accumulate high density energy. Light realized that if it was used for a robot the same size as Rock, the total sum of the gathered solar energy would be above 1 million watts, and so long as it is in sunlight, the robot would have surplus power.

When Dr. Wily started his first attempt to conquer the world, Dr. Light used his new version of the alloy on the conversion of Rock's body into Mega Man.

Known uses

• In the original Mega Man series, it is an alloy used in many robots, the only known uses being Mega Man's armor (Dr. Light's version of the alloy), Cut Man's Rolling Cutter, Metal Man's Metal Blade, and Hard Man's body.

• In Mega Man Zero 4, Ceratanium is a part that can be used to create body-type chips. Ceratanium can be found in Deep Sea, Hanging Gardens, Living City, Magnetic Zone, Particle Beam, Underground Forest, The Prison, Ragnarok Control, Teleporter Base, and Teleporter Circuit.

Ceratanium in Mega Man ZX

• In Mega Man ZX, Silure requests to find a Special Rock in Area K-1, and later asks to take the rock to Oeillet in Area E to break it and obtain the Ceratanium inside. He uses the Ceratanium to create an Extender Chip.

• In Mega Man ZX Advent, the Raiders use a Ceratanium shield to protect themselves in the Oil Field, which can only be broken by Model F's Megaton Crush. Also, the Hunter Kidd requests to find and bring to him a Legendary Pickaxe made of Ceratanium in the dark cellar of Quarry 1.

Other media

• In the manga Mega Man Megamix, Mega Man, Cut Man, Metal Man, and Hard Man have the alloy in the same way as the games. Additionally, Wood Man's Leaf Shield is a set of four leaves made of Ceramic Chitin that have been coated in a special liquid that deflects all projectiles. Wood Man activates the shield by generating an electromagnetic field around him that spins the leaves.

• According to Magnet Man in Mega Man #44, Ceratanium is paramagnetic.

See also

• Titanium-X
• Bassnium

Trivia

• In 2017, Swiss wristwatch company IWC Schaffhausen developed a material named Ceratanium, and has trademarked the term. It is described as a material that combines "The lightness and robustness of titanium combined with a hardness and scratch-resistance similar to ceramic", much like its fictional counterpart.
  • Prior to this, the closest material to this in the real world was titanium carbide, which is used to protect things that experience high temperatures, such as cookware or space shuttles; it is also used on saw blades and drill bits because it doesn't dull easily. Another similar material is titanium diboride, also resilient to high temperatures. Its use has so far been limited to impact resistant armor and cutting tools, due to its exceptional ability to resist wear.

• In the Marvel vs. Capcom series, Mech-Zangief's body and Shadow Lady's Miracle Drill contain "L. Ceramical Titanium".