Titanium Dioxide is used in applications that require high opacity or whiteness, corrosion resistance or photocatalytic activity. Bulk Titanium Dioxide and Nano Titanium Dioxide are two totally different materials. Titanium Dioxide is mainly used as white pigment for paint and cosmetic industry and most in micron particle size. Nanoscale titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2) has a much greater surface area of a given mass or volume of nanoparticles compared to an equivalent mass or volume of conventional TiO2 particles, affording greater potential for properties such as catalytic activity and UV absorption at certain wavelengths.
Main end user markets are paints and pigments, plastics, paper, cosmetics, sunscreens, skin care, catalysts, ceramics, printing inks and glass. Engineering at the nanoscale is particularly interesting because of the fact that the smaller particles, when matched properly with the suspension medium, are less opaque. This makes them desirable in applications such as sunscreens and UV-resistant surface coatings or lacquers. The market will be driven by increased demand in the Asian and developing countries markets. The Chinese market is growing rapidly and photocatalytic TiO2 nanoparticles for self-cleaning and deodorizing effect are in strong demand in the rest of Asia. There is strong government support for nanotechnology in these regions and a large number of multi-nationals and innovative companies developing products and processes based on nanoparticles.
Leading players in the market include BASF, Buhler Partec, Elementis Specialties, Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha, Ltd., Kemira Oyj, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Inc., Dupont, Nanjing Titanium Dioxide Chemical Co, Ltd, Nanostructured & Amorphous Materials, Inc., Sachtleben Chemie GmbH, Showa Denko, Sigma-Aldrich Inc. and Umicore NanoMaterials.
