Titanium dioxide is the most widely used white pigment in industry. Its value comes from a very high refractive index: it scatters light more efficiently than any other commercially available white, which means opacity, brightness and colour strength at low loadings. For manufacturers, that translates into fewer coats, thinner films and less pigment per tonne of product.
Paints and coatings
Coatings are the largest end use. TiO₂ provides hiding power in architectural emulsions, gloss and colour retention in industrial and automotive finishes, and weathering resistance in powder and coil coatings. Rutile grades with alumina and zirconia coatings are standard for exterior systems because they resist chalking and photocatalytic film degradation.
Plastics and masterbatch
In plastics, TiO₂ whitens and opacifies PVC, PE, PP, ABS and PS, and protects the polymer from UV degradation. Here the pigment must also behave mechanically: good dispersibility, a low filter pressure value and heat stability up to processing temperature so the article does not yellow in the extruder.
Printing inks and paper
Offset, gravure and letterpress inks use TiO₂ for opaque whites and clean pastel shades. In paper and laminates it delivers brightness and opacity in thin sheets, where softer, less abrasive grades are often preferred.
Other industrial uses
- Rubber and cable compounds, for whiteness and UV protection.
- Fibre and spinning, where low residue on sieve protects spinnerets.
- Construction products such as PVC profiles, pipe and window systems.
Titanium dioxide also appears in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical grades, but those are separate product classes with their own regulatory status. OxiWhite Global supplies industrial pigment grades only.
Which grade for which use?
The application decides the specification. Coatings buyers weight opacity, gloss and durability; plastics buyers weight dispersibility, CBU and heat stability. Our catalogue is organised the same way.
- R-5566 — sulfate process, Interior and exterior paint, Emulsion paint, Powder coating
- R-244 — sulfate process, Architectural and industrial coatings, Printing inks, Paper
- R-298 — sulfate process, Furniture paint, Automotive repair paint, Printing inks
- CR-350 — chloride process, High-end decorative paint, Automotive paint, Industrial paint
- TYR-588 — chloride process, Building coatings — indoor and outdoor, gloss and semi-gloss, Automotive OEM and refinishing paint, coil coating, Industrial anti-corrosive, decorative and powder coatings
Not sure where your product fits? Send us an enquiry or browse the grade catalogue.