The gravimetric determination of titanium dioxide is vital for several reasons. First and foremost, it ensures product consistency and quality, allowing manufacturers to produce coatings and plastics that meet industry standards. In industries where color consistency is crucial, such as paint production, maintaining a uniform concentration of TiO2 is essential to achieving the desired opacity and brightness.
One of the main challenges that manufacturers face when it comes to buff percentage is ensuring consistency. Variations in the level of coating on titanium dioxide particles can lead to differences in color, opacity, and other properties in the final product. This can be especially problematic in industries such as paint and coatings, where consistency is critical for achieving the desired results.
EFSA has updated its safety assessment of the food additive titanium dioxide (E 171), following a request by the European Commission in March 2020.
From a stability standpoint, lithopone, a fusion of zinc sulfide and artificially precipitated barite, is non-toxic and exhibits resilience to mild lyes and acids. However, it is incompatible with colors containing copper. Despite its strong covering power in oil, lithopone’s drying capabilities are notably limited, posing potential issues for artists. Notably, early experimentation with lithopone-based grounds instead of zinc white resulted in undesirable darkening, although this blackness receded upon drying. This unpredictable behavior has sparked debate among scientific communities, emphasizing the need for further exploration and understanding of this pigment.