Lithopone was developed in the 1870s as a substitute for lead carbonate (lead white), to overcome its drawbacks of toxicity and poor weathering resistance. Within a few years, titanium dioxide displaced lithopone to become the white pigment (PW6) par excellence in the industry and the world’s best-selling inorganic pigment. However, titanium is a product whose price is subject to large price variations due to product availability. These price increases affect the competitiveness of finished products, and so the search for an alternative to titanium dioxide has generated a variety of possibilities to optimise its use. 

TiO₂ comes in many different forms. However, only a few of these forms are considered food-grade (acceptable to be added to food). Many studies that raised concern about the safety of TiO₂, including the concern for genotoxicity, used forms of TiO₂ that are not considered acceptable for use in food and have different properties than food-grade TiO₂. Other studies did use food-grade TiO₂, but took steps to break the material down into smaller particles than what would normally be found in food.

Because of the uncertainty of the impacts of nanoparticles, Made Safe exercises the precautionary principle, meaning we avoid nanoparticles until more extensive scientific testing proves their safety.

According to the feedback of manufacturers, the recent mainstream factory new single price, the market as a whole into the center of gravity. On the demand side, the terminal in August is still the off-season, many downstream still have inventory use, the current batch purchase intention is limited, and the market turnover is low. Some plastics and papermaking related downstream feedback part of the signal price is high. Recent titanium dioxide raw material price shock is strong, titanium dioxide price upward support has been enhanced, comprehensive market factors, the current titanium dioxide market into the stable price state after rising.

TiO₂ absorbs UV light. This property makes it appear bright white under light, unlike other white materials that can look slightly yellow.

Top 10 Chinese TiO2 exporters in 2016