The titanium dioxide (TiO2) industry simply cannot win. In the times of high demand in 2008 the sector was struggling with high input costs, causing low profitability. With the onset of the global recession the situation has worsened.
The response, however, been ruthless with the top pigment producers announcing significant cuts and indefinite closures of European and US plants, both chloride and sulphate route.
At present, the world’s total TiO2 pigment capacity stands at 5.625m. tpa of which 45% is produced through the older sulphate processing route and 55% through the chloride process.
The closure of chloride plants not only bucks the industry movement towards this technology but, more significantly, it again questions the sustainability of Western plants’ costs.
DuPont outlines market situation
DuPont, the world’s leading TiO2 pigment producer with a capacity of 1.17m. tpa, has urged the industry to “go where the growth is”...