Leading Indian industriaL minerals producer, 20 Microns Ltd, has developed two new grades for the replacement of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in solvent and water based paints and coatings – Lithomer-R, an opacifier, and Alsil ZX, an an extender for TiO2.
In mineral coating applications TiO2 efficiently scatters visible light, and by doing so it imparts brightness, opacity and whiteness to paints and coatings. However, the cost of TiO2 has risen steadily since 2008, and in May the world’s top five producers all increased their TiO2 grades by $75/tonne or more (see IM June ’09: Kronos sparks TiO2 price resurgence).
With raw material costs rising, paints and...