The paints and coatings industry reduced their offtakes which coupled with the drop in the crude oil prices and availability of cheaper imports from the Asian market led to the fall in titanium dioxide prices. The demand decreased significantly in the fourth quarter along with the slow manufacturing due to high inflation rates keeping the price trends of the commodity in the negative zone.

But before titanium dioxide is made into sunscreens, it is first micronized. This is a process that takes ingredients that are normally quite heavy (like titanium dioxide) and makes them both stabler and easier to spread. And when micronized, titanium dioxide doesn’t penetrate the skin. That means that you’re getting all the sun protection benefits without the risk of harming yourself.

The applications in which it can be used are paints, inks, plastics, elastomers, paper, fillers, adhesives… 

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined from the earth, processed and refined, and added to a variety of foods, as well as other consumer products. White in color, it is used to enhance the color and sheen of certain foods and is also key for food safety applications. In its natural state it exists in different bulk crystalline forms, such as anatase and rutile, but during processing it is ground into a very fine powder.