Health effects

Titanium dioxide as used in sunscreens is commonly modified with other ingredients to ensure efficacy and stability. Examples of what are known as surface modifier ingredients used for titanium dioxide include stearic acid, isostearic acid, polyhydroxystearic acid, and dimethicone/methicone copolymer.

At present, the equipment and manufacturing process of domestic manufacturers of polyvinyl butyral are constantly getting closer to those abroad. For example, the wonderful use of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) has occurred in the printing industry and ceramic industry. Therefore, the domestic application of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) has an obvious upward trend in recent years.

For example, in the glass industry, it is because polyvinyl butyral (PVB) has good low-temperature impact strength, windability, light transmittance, light resistance, weather resistance, sound insulation, UV insulation and other properties, so that once the laminated glass is sealed together, the glass sandwich (i.e. laminated material) will appear as a whole and look like ordinary glass. For example, in the porcelain industry, polyvinyl butyral is made into a film and used for printing paper film of ceramic (or enamel) products. First, it reduces the original glue small paper Decal process, reduces the production cycle and production cost, and second, it makes its ceramic (or enamel) patterns bright in color and smooth in texture.

With the rapid development of science and technology in recent years, more and more industries have found the characteristics of polyvinyl butyral (PVB): high strength, high toughness, fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance and so on. Compared with traditional materials, polyvinyl butyral (PVB) is more and more widely used because of its larger development space and wider application fields!

Application field of polyvinyl butyral -- safety glass

The membrane made of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) is a special product used to manufacture safety glass and bulletproof glass. Safety glass is a special glass made of a layer of PVB diaphragm sandwiched between two layers of ordinary glass. It has good low-temperature impact strength, windability, light transmittance, light resistance, weather resistance, sound insulation, ultraviolet insulation and other properties. When subjected to strong external impact, PVB diaphragm can absorb impact energy, so that the glass will not break or prevent debris from hurting people. Moreover, the safety glass added with PVB diaphragm has the characteristics of high transparency, water resistance and aging resistance, and can be used in the environment of - 60 ℃. In addition, it can also be used as transparent material to replace plexiglass.

Application field of polyvinyl butyral -- ceramic film flower paper

3. What is EFSA saying in its 2021 opinion on the safety of titanium dioxide as a food additive?

It adds a bright white color to coffee creamers, baked goods, chewing gums, hard-shell candies, puddings, frostings, dressings, and sauces. But the nanoparticles found in “food-grade” titanium dioxide may accumulate in the body and cause DNA damage—which is one way chemicals cause cancer and other health problems. 

The price trendss for titanium dioxide kept on the lower side of the scale during the first half of 2023. As the paint and coatings industries reduced their offtakes,  the abundant supply of the product in the market led to a fall in prices. The prices also suffered from falling energy costs and declining freight charges. Further, the rising speculations of a global recession caused manufacturers to participate actively in destocking.

Having thus described the origin and uses of the pigment, we now come to the question, what is lithopone? It is, in short, a chemical compound usually consisting of 30.5 per cent zinc sulphide, 1.5 per cent zinc oxide and 68 per cent barium sulphate, but these proportions vary slightly in the different makes. Lithopone of this composition is sold as the highest grade, either as red seal or green seal, as it best suits the idea of the manufacturer. Many manufacturers, especially in Europe, sell and also export other brands under other seals, containing 24, 20, 18 and as little as 12 per cent of zinc sulphide with very small percentages of zinc oxide, the balance being usually barium sulphate, but sometimes certain portions of China clay or gypsum (calcium sulphate) or whiting (calcium carbonate). Such brands are not a chemical compound, but mechanical mixtures of the chemically compounded lithopone and the admixtures referred to.