Titanium
Mostly a white pigment for paint, paper and plastics, and in small volumes a light, strong metal for aircraft.
Tech & minor metals · No. 32
- EU strategic
- EU critical 2023
- US critical 2025
- India critical 2023
- HHI 1,987 · moderately concentrated
Most titanium never becomes metal: over 95% of US titanium concentrates end up as white pigment in paint and plastics.
Chart: Illustration: Titanium
Where it comes from
Chart: Map of where it comes from
Most titanium comes from ilmenite and rutile in heavy-mineral sands dredged from old beaches and dunes, with zircon as a coproduct. Some is smelted from hard rock in Canada and South Africa.
Three things to know
- China held about 6.0 Mt of the world's 9.9 Mt of TiO2 pigment capacity in 2025.
- US titanium sponge imports hit a record 44,000 t in 2025, after the last US sponge plant shut in 2024.
- Primary titanium metal made on China's grid emits about 37.3 t CO2e per tonne; recycled ingot, as little as 0.2 t.
The journey
- 1 Mineral sandsIlmenite and rutile from old beaches
- 2 ConcentrateIlmenite and rutile separated
- 3 UpgradingSmelted to slag or synthetic rutile
- 4 PigmentChloride or sulfate process to TiO2
- 5 MetalKroll sponge, then ingot for aircraft