The price trendss for titanium dioxide kept on the lower side of the scale during the first half of 2023. As the paint and coatings industries reduced their offtakes, the abundant supply of the product in the market led to a fall in prices. The prices also suffered from falling energy costs and declining freight charges. Further, the rising speculations of a global recession caused manufacturers to participate actively in destocking.
Although barium sulfate is almost completely inert, zinc sulfide degrades upon exposure to UV light, leading to darkening of the pigment. The severity of this UV reaction is dependent on a combination of two factors; how much zinc sulfide makes up the pigments formulation, and its total accumulated UV exposure. Depending on these factors the pigment itself can vary in shade over time, ranging from pure white all the way to grey or even black. To suppress this effect, a dopant may be used, such as a small amount of cobalt salts, which would be added to the formulation. This process creates cobalt-doped zinc sulfide. The cobalt salts help to stabilize zinc sulfide so it will not have as severe a reaction to UV exposure.