This article was written by Kamilah Guiden and reviewed by Megan Meyer, PhD.

The paints and coatings industry reduced their offtakes which coupled with the drop in the crude oil prices and availability of cheaper imports from the Asian market led to the fall in titanium dioxide prices. The demand decreased significantly in the fourth quarter along with the slow manufacturing due to high inflation rates keeping the price trends of the commodity in the negative zone.

Production of TiO₂ Pigment

Lithopone(CAS NO.1345-05-7) is manufactured by a process in which barium sulfide solution is prepared by reducing barite ore (BaSO4) with carbon and leaching the resulting mass.

In summary, although more human evidence is needed to determine the risks of the mineral, potential titanium dioxide side effects from excessive exposure (especially when inhaled) may include:

Lithopone

In their role as risk managers, the European Commission and Member States will now reflect on EFSA’s scientific advice and decide upon any appropriate regulatory measures or advice for consumers.

You can find titanium dioxide in products like:

This cytotoxic effect was also reported before; i.e. Natarajan et al. conducted an experiment that found a strong oxidative stress, morphological changes in mitochondria and substantial loss in the fusion of primary hepatocytes exposed to P25TiO₂NPs [52].

The presence of so many lithopone factories in China has also led to advancements in production technology and quality control. Chinese manufacturers have invested heavily in research and development to improve the performance of their lithopone products, leading to higher quality and more consistent products on the market. This has helped to cement China's reputation as a leading producer of lithopone on the global stage.

Hemolysis was studied on suspensions of P25TiO₂NPs (0.2 mg/mL and 0.02 mg/mL), vitaminB2@P25TiO₂NPs (0.2 mg/mL and 0.02 mg/mL) and vitamin B2 (0.2 mg/mL and 0.02 mg/mL) were prepared and mixed with 500 μL of anticoagulated blood (donated by Laboratorio de Hemoderivados, UNC) in a rate of 1/10. A solution of NaCl 10% was used as the positive control and PBS as the negative control. Then, the samples were irradiated using the LED described above for 3 and 6 h to simulate the light penetration into the skin. Also, a set of samples was kept in the dark as control. Finally, the samples were centrifuged and the absorbance at 540 nm was measured in the supernatants. The experiment was reproduced twice; the standard deviation was calculated and p-value < 0.05 were considered significant.

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted in a sample of vitaminB2@P25TiO₂NPs using a TA-THA Q5000 equipment. Temperature ramp rate: 10 °C/min, maximum temperature: 1000 °C, under air. Part of the same sample was mounted on conductive copper tape grids and observed through a Carl Zeiss Sigma scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an EDS probe, at the “Laboratorio de Microscopía y Análisis por Rayos X” (LAMARX) of National University of Córdoba (Argentina).

Titanium dioxide is one of the many oxides formed naturally in our environment. Manufacturers source this mined mineral from rutile, brookite, and anatase. It is then processed and refined to meet stringent safety guidelines based on the end-use for the mineral. 

Because of its ability to absorb UV light, it's particularly useful as an ingredient in sunscreens — while its light-scattering properties are great for applications that require white opacity and brightness, such as in paint and paper.

Titanium dioxide is added to some food packaging to preserve the shelf life of a product.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a naturally occurring compound that is mined, refined and processed into a fine powder. It is known for its exceptional opacity, brightness and high refractive index, making it an ideal ingredient in paint formulations. When added to paint, titanium dioxide scatters and reflects light, creating vibrant, long-lasting colors. It is this unique property that makes titanium dioxide the most widely used white pigment in the coatings industry.

Because of their small size, nanoparticles may have unique physical and chemical properties. These properties may cause them to interact with living systems differently than larger materials with the same chemical composition (also known as bulk materials).

Blanc de Comines, 27 per cent zinc sulphide, 70.5 per cent barium sulphate, 2.5 per cent zinc carbonate.

Toxic effects of TiO₂ NPs on soil organisms