1. TITANIUM DIOXIDE
1.
PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS
Appearance
White pigment
Grades
Anatase and rutile grade
Specifications
Specification of Anatase TiO2 pigment
Titanium dioxide
Moisture max.
Soluble salts
Sb2O3
Iron
Copper
V2O5
Cr4O3
Silica
Oil absorption
Residue on 325 mesh
Dispersion
Relative tinting strength
97.5% max.
0.5%
0.5%
0.04%
0.01%
0.002%
0.001%
0.001%
0.75%
22.2%
0.05%
Fairly dispersible in water
1400 max.
Specifications of Rutile TiO2 pigment (surface coated)
TiO2 content
%
Volatiles
%
Water soluble salts
%
P2O5
%
Fe
%
Moisture (105 Deg C)
%
Rutile content
%
Specific resistance
phm, cm-1
Tint-reducing power
Oil absorption
g/100 g pigment
Whitness
%
Sieve residue-0.045 mm net %
(ASTM 325 mesh)
Zinc content
%
pH (water extract)
Dispersity (red devil)
210 min. microns
Chalk resistance
92.5
1 max.
1 max.
0.3 max.
0.01 max.
0.8 max.
98.0
9000
1850
24
96.5
0.02
0.1
6.0
12
Very good
Surface treatment
Bulk density
Tamped density
Refractive index
2.
Al2O3, SiO2
710
1020
2.7
3
kg/m ,cca
kg/m3,cca
PRODUCT APPLICATIONS
Pigment grade Anatase
Pigment grade Rutile
Paint industry
Paint industry
Printing ink industry
Printing ink industry
Paper industry
Rubber industry
Textile industry
Polyester fibre industry
Rayon industry
Plastic industry
Leather industry
Detergent industry
Electronic industry
Refractories
Pharmaceutical industry and others
3.
IMPORTS
Present import levels
Anatase grade
Rutile grade
:
:
Around 3000 tonnes per annum
Around 10000 tonnes per annum
4.
EXPORTS
5.
INDIAN MANUFACTURERS
Nil
S.No.
Name of the Unit
1.
2.
3.
4.
Travancore Titanium Products Ltd., Trivandrum
Kolmak Chemicals Ltd., Calcutta
Kilburn Chemicals Ltd.3000
Kerala Minerals & Metals Ltd.,Quilon
6.
DEMAND SUPPLY TRENDS
Demand
Production level in tonnes
per annum
15000 (anatase grade)
2000 (anatase grade)
(anatase grade)
22000 (rutile grade)
Pigment grade Anatase TiO2: 22000 tonnes per annum
Pigment grade Rutile TiO2 : 30000 tonnes per annum
The gap in supply is met by imports.
Estimated growth rate in demand :
7.
8 to 9% per annum.
MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
There are two routes for the production of TiO2 pigments namely, sulphate and chloride
route.
Sulphate Process : In the sulphate process, Ilmenite is directly reacted with sulphuric acid
to produce titanium sulphate and iron sulphate. The Titanium sulphate is subjected to
selective thermal hydrolysis to produce hydrated titanium dioxide. This is further washed
and calcined to produce titanium dioxide pigment.
In the sulphate process, both anatase and rutile grade TiO2 can be produced.
Chloride Process : In the chloride process, Ilmenite is leached with hydrochloric acid or
selectively chlorinated to produce synthetic rutile. Synthetic rutile would be chlorinated
to produce titanium tetra chloride, which is oxidised to produce titanium dioxide pigment.
By chloride process, only rutile grade TiO2 can be produced.
Technology development
Titanium dioxide is produced from either ilmenite, synthetic rutile or titanium slag.
Titanium dioxide pigment is extracted by using either sulphuric acid (sulphate process) or
chlorine (Chloride route). The sulphate route is perceived to be less environmentally
friendly but acid recycling or neutralisation, combined with other byproduct
developments, can make it as clean as the chloride route.
The sulphate route generally has higher production costs, due to the need to build acid
treatment facilities. It is more expensive to build than a chloride plant, but the latter may
require the construction of a chlor-alkali unit to meet the requirement of Chlorine for the
project.
The chloride route produces a more pure product with a tighter range of particle size, but
anatase pigments can only be produced by the sulphate process.
Millennium estimates that 57% of world production uses the chloride route but among
the seven top producers, the figure rises to 66%.
8.
GLOBAL SCENARIO
Global consumption pattern: (in '000 tonnes)
By Region
North America
Western Europe
Asia/Pacific
Eastern Europe
Latin America
Africa & Mideast
World Total
1487
1000
854
273
217
109
3940
By Market
Paints & Coating
Plastics
Paper
Other
2305
723
528
384
DuPont's ability to chlorinate relatively low-cost ilmenite gives it a cost advantage.
Supply/demand
Titanium dioxide is a $7 bn per year global industry.
Worldwide demand in 1999 stood at 3.82 million tonne, according to consultancy
organisation Artikol.
Global capacity is estimated at 4.47 million tonnes per annum in 2000. The US and
Western Europe account for a third of the market each with Asia consuming nearly 25%.
Producers report very tight markets in Western Europe as a result of high demand and a
number of ownership changes have occurred in recent years leading to some industry
consolidation.
By end 2000, five players account for close to 75% of global Titanium dioxide
production. DuPont with 22% is the largest.
In Europe HICI (Huntsman 70%, ICI 30%) is the largest producer. Huntsman bought
Tioxide from ICI last year following FTC objections to the deal with DuPont. KerrMcGee has bought the remaining 20% of its 80% owned plant from Bayer and completed
the purchase of Kemira's US and Dutch assets. Kemira retains Pori of Finland.
Outlook
Global demand has been picking up steadily since the second half of 1999, especially in
Asia.
In Europe, one producer talked of experiencing double digit growth in 2001. However, in
the long term, consultants estimate the West European demand growth at 3 to 4% per
annum. For the rest of 2001, global demand is set to grow at around 4.5%, according to
Millennium.
Prices are below reinvestment levels but a number of debottlenecks worldwide will add
an extra 200,000 tonnes per annum of capacity by 2003. Of this, around 90,000 tonnes
per annum is in Europe. This includes production at the chloride route unit at Greatham,
UK, rising to its rated 100,000 tonnes per year Kemira hike at Pori, Finland, and the
15,000 tonne per year increase at Sachtleben's Duisberg, Germany, plant.
Expansion at DuPont's plant at New Johnsonville, Tennessee, US, will add 65,000 tonnes
per annum, bringing it to 395,000 tonnes per annum. Upgrades in China should add
20,000 to 30,000 tonnes per annum.
Productwise consumption pattern
Coatings
Paper
Plastics
Other
9.
59%
13%
20%
8%
RECOMMENDATIONS
India has vast deposits of ilmenite which is the raw material for TiO2 production. Indian
deposits is estimated to exceed 14% of the total world reserves.
The project is extremely relevant to Indian conditions and additional capacities should be
urgently created.
Tamil Nadu has vast deposits of Ilmenite and Tamil Nadu is suitable location for setting
up TiO2 project of global standards.
Recommended Capacity & Estimated Project cost
1.
Anatase Grade TiO2 :
Process
:
Project Cost
:
4500 tonnes per annum
Sulphate Route.
Rs.300 million
2.
Rutile Grade TiO2
Process
Project Cost
:
:
:
15000 tonnes per annum
Sulphate Route
Rs. 1800 million
3.
Rutile grade TiO2
Process
:
:
30000 tonnes per annum
Chloride route.
Project cost
:
Rs.3500 million