Areas of Use :
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a food colorant known with the food additive code E171. Titanium dioxide used as a colorant is also known as titanium white.
Raw titanium dioxide is obtained by purifying titanium tetrachloride. This process is carried out in two types as sulfate and chlorine processes. Commercial titanium dioxide is not pure, it is a synthetic pigment. Titanium dioxide is the biggest expense in the purchasing budgets of paint manufacturers. Its use is mainly in building/construction (50% of purchasing) and industrial (30% of purchasing) paints. It is used less in automotive and furniture paints.
Titanium dioxide is the most widely used white pigment in the world. Only diamonds have a higher refractive index than titanium dioxide. Refractive index is the measurement of the ability of light to bend. In this way, opacity and covering ability are provided. Only magnesium oxide is whiter than titanium dioxide. However, the refractive index of this material is much lower than that of titanium dioxide. This means that much more magnesium oxide is required to achieve the desired dullness. Therefore, in practice, titanium dioxide is preferred.