china products with titanium dioxide

Various titanium-rich minerals, including ilmenite and rutile, can serve as starting materials for the production of highly purified Titanium Dioxide. The predominant method employed in Titanium Dioxide production is the chloride process. In this process, the mineral, along with coke and chlorine, undergoes a reaction within a fluidized bed, resulting in the formation of primarily titanium tetrachloride and carbon dioxide. Subsequently, the titanium tetrachloride undergoes purification and conversion to Titanium Dioxide. Another method involves treating ilmenite with sulfuric acid to manufacture the chemical.

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The first commercial production of TiO2 began in the early 20th century, using the sulfate process. This method involved reacting ilmenite ore with sulfuric acid to produce titanium sulfate, which was then calcined to obtain titanium dioxide. However, this process had several drawbacks, including high energy consumption, generation of large amounts of waste, and release of harmful gases such as sulfur dioxide. As a result, many factories transitioned to the chloride process, which offers higher purity TiO2 and reduced environmental impact.

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