In plastics, titanium dioxide has to do two jobs at once: whiten and opacify the polymer, and survive the extruder without causing yellowing, pressure build-up or screen blockage. Pigment selection is as much a processing decision as a colour decision.
What matters most
- Dispersibility
- Poor dispersion shows as specks, uneven colour and lost tinting strength. Surface treatment is decisive here.
- CBU (colour black undertone)
- The plastics measure of tinting strength. A higher CBU means more whitening power per kilogram.
- Heat stability
- Grades built for plastics resist yellowing at high processing temperatures — up to around 300 °C for the best of them.
- Filter pressure value
- A low FPV keeps screen packs clean, which protects masterbatch productivity and film quality.
- Volatile matter
- Moisture causes voids and foaming in film and thin-wall parts, so low volatiles matter.
By polymer and product
- High-concentration masterbatch: prioritise dispersibility, CBU and filter pressure value.
- Blown and cast film: low residue on sieve and low volatiles to avoid gels and pinholes.
- PVC profile and pipe: whiteness plus weathering performance for outdoor service.
- Engineering plastics (ABS, PS, PP): heat stability and anti-yellowing at moulding temperature.
- Fibre and spinning: the tightest particle control, to protect spinnerets.
Our plastics grades
- R-268 — sulfate process, PVC, ABS and PS masterbatch, PVC pipe compounds
- CR-340 — chloride process, High-concentration masterbatch, High-quality films, Silk and wire plastics
- R-249 — sulfate process, High-concentration masterbatch, High-temperature resistant plastics, Films and spinning (fibre) plastics
- TYR-568 — chloride process, Engineering plastics such as PVC, PE, PP and ABS, PS and its copolymers, Plastics, masterbatch and film blowing
UV protection
Rutile TiO₂ absorbs and scatters UV light, which slows polymer degradation in outdoor parts. Anatase should not be used for exterior plastics: it is photocatalytically active and can accelerate breakdown instead of preventing it.
Looking for a masterbatch or film grade? Send us an enquiry or browse the grade catalogue.