Sulphate process. The ilmenite is reacted with sulphuric acid giving titanium sulphate and ferric oxide. After separation of ferric oxide, addition of alkali allows precipitation of hydrous titanium dioxide. The washed precipitate is calcined in a rotary kiln to render titanium dioxide. The nucleation and calcination conditions determine the crystalline structure of titanium dioxide (e.g. rutile or anatase).

Regulatory action

China’s government is working on its plan to eliminate outmoded capacities of TiO2 and strengthen environmental protection measurements. Small and middle-sized enterprises, with a production capacity under 50,000t/a, are the ones to suffer. They mostly get merged or need to withdraw from the market. Without their production capacity of about 500,000 tonnes yearly, the domestic output might shrink about 20%. This will enhance the power of listed companies in China immensely, which is one of the main reasons for the effort to go public.