Titanium dioxide at high prices,coatings giants want to look for alternatives

In recent years, titanium dioxide prices keep rising, brings great pressure to downstream coating industry.The United States Sherwin Coating company, PPG Industrial Company and Holland Akzo  Nobel Corporation and other international coating tycoon recently expressed that they would take measures to minimize the titanium dioxide usage, and look for alternatives to reduce the cost of raw materials asa coping strategy. Analysts believe that this action means a huge impact to domestic titanium dioxide industry .

In the first half of last year, the price of titanium dioxide have been continuously risen. However in the second half year with weaker demand, the price has been diving once. But after in November last year it hit the lowest price, titanium dioxide market ushered in the inflection point, price rose even approached to the highest point in last year.

Under the heavy pressureof high-price titanium dioxide, each global coatings enterprise felt unspeakably. Sherwin Williams paint company CEO Christopher Connor predicted, titanium dioxide prices continued to rise and the company would augment this year's costs in raw material about 10%.PPG also pointed out, last year the price increase 35% , this year ‘s titanium white chloridization prices would continue to rise.

“  If the price of coating is 100 yuan, the cost at least account for 65 yuan. a senior of Yip’s Chemical” said

It is reported that The Dow Chemical Corporation and the French Arkema Company and other  coating manufacturers are trying to find the titanium dioxide alternatives. Last year, Dow Chemical has produced a latex polymer,on the one hand, to enhance the opacity of titanium dioxide in the coating, on the other hand to reduce 20% of the amount of titanium dioxide in coating formulations.In January this year, Arkema company successfully developed a impellucidus polymer to replace part of titanium white function called “Celocor”

Titanium dioxide analyst Yang Xun in PPIcn told reporters that titanium dioxide’s demand are better in foreign market than those of the domestic.Because of it, some large domestic manufacturers began aiming at foreign trade and exports, however if the alternatives carried out smoothly, the domestic titanium dioxide market demand will be dealt a heavy blow.

By Hunk