By Reg Adams
The chairman of Chinese titanium dioxide (TiO2) producer Panzhihua Iron & Titanium Corp. (Pangang Group), Zhuang Kai, has reportedly been arrested in the US on suspicion of carrying stolen intelligence on chloride TiO2 technology.
China Network News reported that Kai was detained while carrying technical information documents about chloride-process TiO2 production technology, which were alleged to be stolen property.
Zhuang Kai has now been detained for over three months, which indicates that he has been arrested and will face criminal charges.
If the allegations are proven, the implications will be wide reaching. For many years now Western producers of chloride TiO2 like DuPont and Tronox have been fearful of establishing plants in their fastest growing market, China.
The huge chemical companies have closely guarded their chloride TiO2 process which is the...