Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a unique chemical with a wide range of applications. Formulators have tried to increase the efficiency in TiO2 usage for many years. Because prices have recently skyrocketed, however, formulators have begun to look for substitutes in order to reduce TiO2 consumption.
Titanium dioxide provides the whiteness, brightness, durability and hiding power of coatings products. It aids in preserving the color quality for decorative coatings; in industrial coatings, it provides resilience and ultraviolet (UV) protection. In the plastics industry, TiO2 is predominantly used for making master batches (i.e., pigment concentrates used for final color mixing of the end product). Titanium dioxide is also directly added during compounding at the time of manufacturing. TiO2 is an integral part of PVCs and other engineering plastics.
Hence, a strong focus on substitution is only commercially viable for the above two downstream industries—the coatings and plastics industries. It is much more difficult to replace TiO2 in specialty niche applications where it becomes an indispensable part of the application.
Unfortunately, TiO2 is among the few pigments that are technically arduous to substitute, and several critical issues must be addressed:
• Which downstream industries might benefit the substitution market?
• What factors govern the substitutions market?
• Where is the market moving in terms of substitution? Is the TiO2 market prepared to accept a formulation with substitutes?
• Should industries procuring TiO2-containing products be wary of this trend?