Anyway, it doesn't matter if it reflects or absorbs, Titanium Dioxide is a pretty awesome sunscreen agent for two main reasons: it gives a nice broad spectrum coverage and it's highly stable. Its protection is very good between 290 - 350 nm (UVB and UVA II range), and less good at 350-400 nm (UVA I) range. Regular sized Titanium Dioxide also has a great safety profile, it's non-irritating and is pretty much free from any health concerns (like estrogenic effect worries with some chemical filters).

Titanium dioxide is added to some food packaging to preserve the shelf life of a product.

≤14

Tint reducing power, compared with standard samples

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.

Lithopone B301, Lithopone B311 powder, brilliant white pigment used in paints, inks, leather, paper, linoleum, and face powder. It was developed in the 1870s as a substitute or supplement for lead carbonate (white lead), to overcome its drawbacks of toxicity, poor weathering, and darkening in atmospheres that contain sulfur compounds. Lithopone B301, Lithopone B311 powder is an insoluble mixture of barium sulfate and zinc sulfide that precipitates upon mixing solutions of barium sulfide and zinc sulfate. The precipitate is recovered by filtration, then calcined (roasted) at temperatures above 600° C (1,112° F). Although Lithopone B301, Lithopone B311 powder has been replaced in many applications by titanium dioxide, it is still widely used in a number of products, such as water paints.

Titanium dioxide comes in the form of a white powder and is sometimes used in cosmetics to adjust a color to a lighter shade. This is also why it can produce a white cast.

Titanium dioxide (E 171) is authorised as a food additive in the EU according to Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.  

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BaSO4 + 4C=BaS + 4CO

For people in occupational settings that increase the risk of titanium dioxide exposure, taking protective measures is helpful. This may include wearing protective equipment, such as respirators, and using ventilation systems.

Because the seller's inventory is small, the manufacturer has no willingness to reduce the price of sales, and the demand for new orders in the market is relatively large.Trend: The load of titanium dioxide enterprises is stable, the willingness to ship at low prices is not strong, and the downstream buyers still have inventory digestion, and the intention to supplement orders in the short term is limited. It is expected that the titanium dioxide market today just needs to stabilize the price, and the market trading atmosphere is more general.

It's all over the place in our environment, said Dr. Johnson-Arbor.

Although the evidence for general toxic effects was not conclusive, on the basis of the new data and strengthened methods we could not rule out a concern for genotoxicity and consequently we could not establish a safe level for daily intake of the food additive, commented Matthew Wright, member of the EFSA's Food Additives and Flavourings Panel in a press statement.

The Asian market was favorable to the rising price trends of titanium dioxide in the first quarters of 2023. The prices inclined gradually with some slight fluctuations. The positive outlook of the market was a direct effect of removing covid restrictions, upscaling industrial production, and high speed of market recovery.

zinc oxide content, %

Let’s break the risk down further.  

A dense, white, opaque pigment composed of a mixture of Zinc sulfide (30%) and Barium sulfate (70%) with trace amounts of Zinc oxide. Lithopone, first produced in 1874, was called Orr's white. The mixture of the two components is so intimate that it is hard to distinguish microscopically. Lithopone is an inert, transparent pigment which is often used as a filler or as a base for lake pigments. Lithopone was widely used in house paints in the first half of the 20th century. It was also used for some artist grounds, inks and as a filler in Paper, Leather, and Linoleum. Now lithopone has mostly been replaced by Titanium dioxide.

New Safety Rulings & Regulations