(519c) A New Process for TiO2 Production

Because of its high refractive index, stability and non-toxicity, TiO₂ has found application as the primary opacifying agent in paint, paper and plastics. Annual world consumption of TiO₂ is estimated to be about 10MMM lbs. With an annual growth rate of about 3%, significant new capacity is needed each year to meet the growing demand. This presentation will summarize our efforts at developing a novel next generation process for TiO₂ production based on ammonium binoxalate digestion of ilmenite ore.