TiB2 is an extremely hard ceramic which has excellent heat conductivity, oxidation stability and resistance to mechanical erosion. TiB2 is also a reasonable electrical conductor, so it can be used as a cathode material in aluminium smelting and can be shaped by electrical discharge machining. TiB2 is very similar to titanium carbide, an important base material for cermets, and many of its properties (e.g. hardness, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity and oxidation resistance) are superior to those of TiC.