Methods of Manufacturing
TITANIUM DIOXIDE OF GOOD COMMERCIAL GRADE IS PREPARED BY TRITURATING GROUND ILMENITE WITH CONCENTRATED SULFURIC ACID & PRECIPITATING TITANIUM DIOXIDE BY HYDROLYSIS.
May be prepared by direct combination of titanium and oxygen; by treatment of titanium salts in aq soln; by reaction of volatile, inorg titanium compounds with oxygen; by oxidn or hydrolysis of org compounds of titanium.
Industrial prepn from ilmenite or rutile; prepn of synthetic rutile; prepn of spectroscopically pure material by dissolving titanium in ammoniacal soln of 90% hydrogen peroxide.
... BY NEUTRALIZING SOLN OF TITANIUM SALT WITH SODIUM CARBONATE AND THEN BOILING WITH LARGE VOLUME OF WATER. METATITANIC ACID ... IS PRECIPITATED AND IT YIELDS DIOXIDE ON HEATING.
Titanium dioxide, hydrate (sulfate process)
U.S. Exports
(1977) 1.32X10+9 G
(1982) 1.18X10+9 G
(1985) 9.07X10+10 g
(1986) 9.98X10+10 g
(1997) 4.05X10+5 metric tons; (1998) 3.98x10+5 metric tons
(1996) 332,000 metric tons; (1997) 405,000 metric tons; (1998) 398,000 metric tons; (1999) 383,000 metric tons; (2000) 470,000 metric tons
U.S. Imports
(1977) 1.06X10+11 G
(1982) 1.26X10+11 G
(1985) 1.72X10+11 g
(1986) 1.92X10+11 g
(1997) 1.94X10+5 metric tons; (1998) 2X10+5 metric tons
(1996) 167,000 metric tons; (1997) 194,000 metric tons; (1998) 192,000 metric tons; (1999) 225,000 metric tons; (2000) 225,000 metric tons
U.S. Production
(1977) 7.27X10+11 G (CONSUMPTION)
(1982) 6.76X10+11 G (CONSUMPTION)
(1985) 7.26X10+11 g
(1986) 8.30X10+11 g
(1987) 8.35X10+11 g /Estimate/
(1990) 2.15 billion lb
(1991) 2.19 billion lb
(1992) 2.51 billion lb
(1993) 2.56 billion lb
(1996) 1.23X10+6 metric tons; (1997) 1.34X10+6 metric tons; (1998) 1.33X10+6 metric tons; (1999) 1.35X10+6 metric tons; (2000) 1.44X10+6 metric tons
Consumption Patterns
PIGMENT IN PAINTS, VARNISHES, & LACQUERS, 51%; PAPER USES, 23%; PIGMENT IN PLASTICS, 12%; EXPORTS, 5%; PIGMENT IN ELASTOMERS, 2.5%; COMPONENT OF PORCELAIN ENAMELS & GLAZES, 1.5%; OTHER USES, 5% (1981, DOES NOT INCLUDE UNISOLATED COMPONENT OF ORES USED IN MFR OF TITANIUM METAL & ALLOYS)
Paints, varnishes & lacquers, 54%; paper, 21%; plastics, 16%; rubber, 2%; ceramics, 1%; and other, 6% (1986)
CHEMICAL PROFILE: Titanium Dioxide. Paint, varnish and lacquer, 49%; paper and paperboard, 19%; plastics, 13%; other, including fibers, inks, ceramics, tire rubbers, food and pharmaceutical, 7%; exports, 12%.
CHEMICAL PROFILE: Titanium dioxide. Demand: 1987: 952,000 tons; 1988: 1,018,000 tons; 1992 /projected/: 1,100,000 tons (Does not include imports, which totaled 192,000 tons in 1987.)
Demand: (1997) 1.13X10+6 metric tons; (1998) 1.162X10+6 metric tons; (2002) 1.283X10+6 metric tons (est)
Surface coatings (52%); paper coatings and filler (21%); plastics (19%); misc including enamels and ceramics, glass, electronics ceramics, rubber, catalysts, and welding fluxes (8%)