Titanium dioxide: Overview
Why a thin layer of this white powder hides everything
What this tab covers What the chemical is, how big its market is, what it is used for (with shares, volumes, why it wins and what could replace it), and its chain from raw material to end user. Ends with three things to remember.Titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigment scatters light better than any other affordable white material, so a thin layer hides what is underneath. It is made from ilmenite, slag or rutile by the sulphate route (digestion in sulphuric acid) or the chloride route (chlorination and oxidation). World capacity is 9.9 Mt, 6.0 Mt of it in China (USGS 2025). Western producers have closed over 1.1 Mt since 2023 under Chinese competition, prompting anti-dumping duties in the EU, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, India and the UK. It is energy and waste intensive, at roughly 3-4 t CO2e per tonne.
Volume capacity 9.9 Mt (2025e); output about 7.8 Mt (indicative, basis: China 4.72 Mt (SunSirs, 2025) plus about 80% use of 3.9 Mt capacity elsewhere) Market value about $20 billion (indicative, basis: 7.8 Mt x $2,500-3,200/t, between Indian landed import values and the US unit value) Growth demand roughly tracks GDP and construction, about 2-3% a year (indicative); capacity is shrinking outside China USGS MCS 2026 (Titanium); SunSirs (2025); ChemAnalyst (2026)Key uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paints and coatings (architectural, industrial, automotive) | 57% | about 4.4 Mtbasis | Rutile's refractive index of about 2.7 gives the most hiding power per kilogram, so paint makers use it as the main white even at $3,000/t. Fillers such as calcium carbonate cut cost but cannot match opacity. USGS MCS 2026; European Coatings (2026) | Calcium carbonate, kaolin and talc as extenders (USGS) Hollow polymer and polymer-silica particles Zinc oxide and lithopone (minor) |
| Plastics and masterbatch (films, profiles, pipes, packaging) | 26% | about 2.0 Mtbasis | TiO2 makes plastics opaque and white and blocks UV, protecting the polymer. PVC window profiles and packaging films need durable rutile grades. USGS MCS 2026; share indicative | Calcium carbonate fillers Other pigments for coloured parts |
| Paper and laminates | 7% | about 0.55 Mtbasis | Decor and laminate papers need high opacity and brightness in a thin sheet. Anatase sulphate grades are common here. USGS MCS 2026; share indicative | Kaolin and precipitated calcium carbonate |
| Printing inks | 3% | about 0.23 Mtbasis | White inks for packaging and flexible films need fine, well-dispersed rutile. USGS MCS 2026 (lists printing ink); share indicative | Few for opaque white |
| Other: fibres, ceramics, cosmetics and sunscreen, food and pharma coatings, SCR DeNOx catalysts, roofing granules | 7% | about 0.55 Mtbasis | Anatase is the support for vanadium-tungsten SCR catalysts that remove NOx from power and diesel exhaust. Fine grades delustre synthetic fibres and act as UV filters in sunscreens. USGS MCS 2026; share indicative | Zinc oxide (sunscreen) Food uses banned in the EU since 2022 |
From raw material to user
- Mineral sands mining World TiO2 content mined was 9.8 Mt in 2025; ilmenite 9.4 Mt and rutile 0.45 Mt (USGS).
- Feedstock upgrading Ilmenite is smelted to 80-95% TiO2 slag with pig iron by-product, or reduced and leached to 88-95% synthetic rutile (titanium tile).
- Pigment manufacture Sulphate plants digest ilmenite or slag in sulphuric acid; chloride plants chlorinate rutile or slag with coke to TiCl4 and burn it with oxygen.
- Finishing Base pigment is milled and surface-treated with alumina, silica or zirconia for durability and dispersion, then micronised and bagged.
- Distribution Shipped in 25 kg bags and 1 t big bags or as slurry; China exports to India, Southeast Asia, Brazil and the Middle East.
- End use Paint, plastics and paper makers; India imported 226,869 t from China in the DGTR investigation period, 57% of demand (ChemAnalyst).
Made from (commodity table)
Ti TitaniumS SulfurThree things to know
- China holds 6.0 Mt of the world's 9.9 Mt pigment capacity (USGS 2025) and produced about 4.72 Mt in 2025 (SunSirs).
- Over 1.1 Mt of supply came offline from 2023 to late 2025, including Tronox's 90 kt Botlek plant and Venator's insolvency (Tronox Q3 2025; MarketMinute 2026).
- India's DGTR recommended duties of $460-681/t on Chinese TiO2 in 2025 and again on 3 Aug 2026 after a court quashed the first notification; the Finance Ministry re-imposed them for five years in October 2026 (ChemAnalyst; TaxGuru, 24 Oct 2026).