The Discovery: China's Best TiO2 and a New Standard for the Sulfate Process
For decades, one name dominated the world of titanium dioxide: DuPont.
Their TiO2 grades, 902, 706, and others, were the gold standard in paints and inks. Multinational corporations specified them by name. Formulators built their products around them. To compete with DuPont was considered ambitious. To replace them was considered nearly impossible.
In 2010, HONGDA set out to challenge that.
We partnered with Xinfu Plant to jointly develop this capability, combining their production capabilities with our market knowledge and technical expertise. But this was not merely a business arrangement. It was a shared quest. Together, we asked a question that no one in China had answered before: can we produce TiO2 that is truly world-class, right here, using our own sulfate process?
The answer, after countless trials and relentless refinement, was NTR-606.
But here is what made NTR-606 extraordinary. It was not just a product we manufactured. It was a discovery: the discovery that China already possessed the capability to produce the finest titanium dioxide. What had been missing was not talent or resources, but belief, discipline, and the determination to set a higher standard.
NTR-606 was engineered to deliver the properties that mattered most in paints and inks: opacity, brightness, durability, and dispersion. It was designed to be a drop-in replacement for DuPont 902, 706, and similar grades, meaning customers could switch without reformulating their products.
And together with Xinfu, we achieved something even more significant: we created a new standard for the Chinese sulfate process.
This was not just about one product. It was about proving that the sulfate process, when executed with precision, innovation, and uncompromising quality control, could match the best in the world. NTR-606 became the benchmark. It raised the bar for an entire industry and showed what Chinese manufacturers were truly capable of.
The development process was rigorous. Countless trials. Endless testing. Adjustments to particle size, surface treatment, and production processes. Our team worked tirelessly, driven by a single conviction: if we can match DuPont, and set a new standard while doing it, we can win.
And we did.
The lesson we learned is this: never be intimidated by the market leader. Study them. Learn from them. Then build something better. And never accept the limits others place on you. Sometimes the greatest discovery is finding out what you were capable of all along.