How to stretch TiO2.

With prices going up and up, and supplies getting snugger, it's time to re-examine the available extender pigments that can make TiO2 go further.

The 10-year run of cheap and plentiful titanium dioxide is over. While prices are still some distance below the levels of 1989, and no actual

shortages are in sight, there is every indication that TiO2 prices will climb farther and delivery lead times will continue to grow longer. All this adds up to a revival of interest in white mineral fillers that can be used as partial TiO2 replacements to extend supplies and minimize costs.

While nothing can match the opacity of prime rutile TiO2, some white, bright mineral fillers and alternative grades of TiO2 can offer some relief from rising prices. Other ways to get more value out of white pigments include new TiO2 grades that offer improved dispersion and durability.

What's sending prices up?

Some readers may recall the late 1980s, when supply shortages pushed the price of TiO2 to over $1.20/lb and forced users to explore various extenders. Then, by 1996, TiO2 prices dropped to the low-to-mid 80[cents]/lb range, dragged down by a slowed economy and a glut in the market. Pigment suppliers reacted by shelving expansion plans and building no more "greenfield" capacity since 1995. Gradually, market demand caught up with stagnant supply. TiO2 is now selling at 95[cents] to $1.15/lb, a 10-20% increase since the mid-90s. Another 3-5[cents]/lb hike is probable before the end of the year, according to consultant James Fisher, president and CEO of International Business Management Associates (IBMA), Princeton Junction, N.J.

Although today's TiO2 prices are 9-14% below those of 1989 (and 20-24% lower than '89 in constant dollars), producers say that is still below the level required to support new investment in future capacity.

Table 1 - TiO2 vs. Alternatives

White Pigment          Refractive Index      Price ([cents]/lb)
Rutile TiO2            2.73                  95-115
Synthetic Rutile

(Buff Color)(a)        2.73                  68

Imported Rutile(b)     -                     78

Anatase TiO2           2.55                  93-113

Zinc Oxide             2.02                  75-80

Lithopone(c)           1.84                  55-65

Calcined Kaolin
Clay