lithopone market

...

In conclusion, selecting the right lithopone, whether B301 or B311, involves more than just perusing price lists. It requires a comprehensive evaluation of product specifications, supplier reliability, and the broader implications of your purchase. By fostering partnerships with suppliers that offer competitive pricing, consistent quality, and sustainable practices, your business can harness the full potential of lithopone in creating superior products while contributing to a greener future.

...



  • Import and export data

    According to customs data, the cumulative import volume of titanium dioxide from January to November 2022 is about 116200 tons, a decrease of 34.06% over the same period last year, and the import volume is about 60000 tons; It is estimated that the annual import volume will be 120000 tons, about 70000 tons less than last year. The domestic market demand is weak, and the import of titanium dioxide in China has declined significantly. The new capacity of domestic chlorinated titanium dioxide increased, and the high-end titanium dioxide imported from abroad decreased accordingly.

    According to customs data, from January to November 2022, the total export volume of titanium dioxide was about 1279100 tons, an increase of 8.58% over the same period last year, and the export volume increased by about 101100 tons. The export market maintained a stable and rising trend, and the annual export volume is expected to be 1.38 million tons. The export situation in the first half of the year was better than that in the second half, and the overall export market maintained an increasing trend.

    Capacity output

    According to public data, the cumulative output of titanium dioxide from January to November 2022 is about 3.5755 million tons, up 3% over the same period of last year, with an increase of about 96400 tons, and the annual output is expected to be 3.9 million tons. The enterprises that have increased the output of titanium dioxide this year are mainly, an increase of 11%

    The output growth rate was 2%. This year, the newly launched enterprises CITIC Titanium Industry, Yibin Tianyuan, Shengwei Fuquan and Xianghai Titanium Industry had a significant increase in output compared with last year, and the output of more than 20 small and medium-sized enterprises in the market decreased by different degrees compared with last year.

    Downstream terminal

    From January to November, the national real estate development investment was 12386.3 billion yuan, down 9.8% year on year; Among them, the residential investment was 9401.6 billion yuan, down 9.2%.

    From January to November, the housing construction area of real estate development enterprises was 8968.57 million square meters, down 6.5% year on year. Among them, the residential construction area was 6339.16 million square meters, down 6.7%. The newly started housing area was 1116.32 million square meters, down 38.9%. Among them, the newly started residential area was 817.34 million square meters, down 39.5%. The completed housing area was 557.09 million square meters, down 19.0%. Among them, the completed residential area was 404.42 million square meters, down 18.4%.

    From January to November, the sales area of commercial housing was 1212.5 million square meters, down 23.3% year on year, including the residential sales area, down 26.2%. The sales volume of commercial housing was 11864.8 billion yuan, down 26.6%, of which the sales volume of residential housing was down 28.4%.

    At the end of November, the area of commercial housing for sale was 55.203 million square meters, with a year-on-year growth of 10.0%. Among them, the residential area for sale increased by 18.0%.

    From January to November, the paid in capital of real estate development enterprises was 13631.3 billion yuan, down 25.7% year on year. Among them, domestic loans amounted to 1582.3 billion yuan, down 26.9%; The utilization of foreign capital was 6.6 billion yuan, down 26.6%; Self raised funds amounted to 4899.4 billion yuan, down 17.5%; Deposit and advance receipts amounted to 4460.1 billion yuan, down 33.6%; Personal mortgage loans reached 2187 billion yuan, down 26.2%.

    On the whole, affected by the economic pressure this year, the sales volume of real estate has gradually declined this year, and the national infrastructure investment index has also continued to decline. The demand growth of the downstream coating industry will slow down. At present, the purchase restriction policy of real estate has been cancelled, and in November, a trillion yuan of large state-owned banks rushed to help the real estate industry, which is good for the current market to a certain extent.

    3. Future market forecast

    According to the titanium dioxide analysts from the Chemical Branch of the Business Cooperative, the market price of titanium dioxide will fall sharply in 2022. Affected by the economic situation, the domestic market will be light, but the export market will remain good. The introduction of various favorable policies for real estate before the year will benefit the titanium dioxide market to some extent. It is expected that the titanium dioxide market will mainly maintain stable operation in the short term.
  • ...

    A great number of other brands with fancy names have gone out of the German market, because of some defects in the processes of manufacture. The English exporters, as a rule, offer three or four grades of lithopone, the lowest priced consisting of about 12 per cent zinc sulphide, the best varying between 30 and 32 per cent zinc sulphide. A white pigment of this composition containing more than 32 per cent zinc sulphide does not work well in oil as a paint, although in the oilcloth and shade cloth industries an article containing as high as 45 per cent zinc sulphide has been used apparently with success. Carefully prepared lithopone, containing 30 to 32 per cent sulphide of zinc with not over 1.5 per cent zinc oxide, the balance being barium sulphate, is a white powder almost equal to the best grades of French process zinc oxide in whiteness and holds a medium position in specific gravity between white lead and zinc oxide. Its oil absorption is also fairly well in the middle between the two white pigments mentioned, lead carbonate requiring 9 per cent of oil, zinc oxide on an average 17 per cent and lithopone 13 per cent to form a stiff paste. There is one advantage in the manipulation of lithopone in oil over both white lead and zinc oxide, it is more readily mis-cible than either of these, for some purposes requiring no mill grinding at all, simply thorough mixing with the oil. However, when lithopone has not been furnaced up to the required time, it will require a much greater percentage of oil for grinding and more thinners for spreading than the normal pigment. Pigment of that character is not well adapted for use in the manufacture of paints, as it lacks in body and color resisting properties and does not work well under the brush. In those industries, where the paint can be applied with machinery, as in shade cloth making, etc., it appears to be preferred, because of these very defects. As this sort of lithopone, ground in linseed oil in paste form, is thinned for application to the cloth with benzine only, and on account of its greater tendency to thicken, requires more of this comparatively cheap thinning medium, it is preferred by most of the manufacturers of machine painted shade cloth. Another point considered by them is that it does not require as much coloring matter to tint the white paste to the required standard depth as would be the case if the lithopone were of the standard required for the making of paint or enamels. On the other hand, the lithopone preferred by the shade cloth trade would prove a failure in the manufacture of oil paints and much more so, when used as a pigment in the so-called enamel or varnish paints. Every paint manufacturer knows, or should know, that a pigment containing hygroscopic moisture does not work well with oil and driers in a paint and that with varnish especially it is very susceptible to livering on standing and to becoming puffed to such an extent as to make it unworkable under the brush. While the process of making lithopone is not very difficult or complicated, the success of obtaining a first class product depends to a great extent on the purity of the material used. Foreign substances in these are readily eliminated by careful manipulation, which, however, requires thorough knowledge and great care, as otherwise the result will be a failure, rendering a product of bad color and lack of covering power.

    ...

    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 Lithopone B301, Lithopone B311 powder itself may vary in shade over time, ranging from pure white all the way to grey or even black. To suppress this effect, a dopant might be used, like 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.

    ...