Growth of Construction and Automotive Sectors Drives Paints and Coatings Applications and Subsequently Titanium Dioxide Market Demand
Pigment-grade and nano-grades of titanium dioxide are the key product types in the titanium dioxide market. The high demand from the paints and coatings, plastics, and paper and paperboard industries has been a key contributor to the growth of the titanium dioxide market. The key product types pertaining to every application area have been considered during the course of the research study conducted at the global level. Applications have been quantitatively explained for all key regions for every application market. All region-wise markets have also been broken down further into key sub-regions.
The global titanium dioxide market is expected to witness a moderate growth by volume during the forecast period. The rise in demand for paints and coatings by the infrastructure sector, demand for pigments by the plastics and pulp and paper industries, and growing applications of titanium dioxide in other industry applications have been contributing to the demand rise for titanium dioxide. Asia-Pacific is the dominant region in terms of titanium dioxide production and consumption activity. China has been the leading country globally in terms of titanium dioxide consumption, driven by a large-size and rapidly growing end-use industry.
High-end applications, such as aesthetically superior paints and coatings, superior quality paper pigments, and specialty applications such as those in the field of catalysis and pharmaceuticals are expected to become increasingly important areas of product development.
However, with regulatory bodies across Europe moving toward the step of classifying titanium dioxide as a potential carcinogen, end-use industries have been considering alternatives, which has been to an extent, dampening titanium dioxide market growth.
Titanium dioxide is wasted considerably in chemical processes in the manufacture of paints. Hence, there have been initiatives taken by research and development departments of universities and the chemical industry to effectively recycle titanium dioxide and minimize waste. For instance, Chalmers Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has collaborated with AkzoNobel and Stena Recycling, to recover titanium dioxide through pyrolysis. The technique involves separating organic material from inorganic material. Titanium-based white paint has been the key focus area. The project at the university is also linked to AkzoNobel's strategic objective to reduce its carbon footprint by recycling white paint in its processes.
For industrial coating manufacturers and suppliers, quality control tests that render very accurate measurements of quality are becoming increasingly important. End users have been increasingly particular about maintaining the product quality, to avoid the loss of time and increased losses associated with poor product quality and subsequent negative branding and reduction in sales.
