The report provides insights into the landscape of the lithopone industry at the global level. The report also provides a segment-wise and region-wise breakup of the global lithopone industry. Additionally, it also provides the price analysis of feedstocks used in the manufacturing of lithopone, along with the industry profit margins.

LITHOPONE

Lithopone is manufactured by a process (Fig. 1) in which barium sulfide solution is prepared by reducing barite ore (BaSO ₄) with carbon and leaching the resulting mass.

The so-called “barrier effect” makes it possible to achieve good anti-corrosion protection in primers.

In vitro, in the hemocytes of the marine mussel Mytilus hemocytes, suspension of TiO₂ NPs (Degussa P25, 10 μg/ml) stimulated immune and inflammatory responses, such as lysozyme release, oxidative burst and nitric oxide production. Vevers and Jha demonstrated the intrinsic genotoxic and cytotoxic potential of TiO₂ NPs on a fish-cell line derived from rainbow-trout gonadal tissue (RTG-2 cells) after 24 h of exposure to 50 μg/ml. Reeves et al. demonstrated a significant increase in the level of oxidative DNA damage in goldfish cells, and suggested that damage could not repaired by DNA repair mechanisms. Another suggestion from the mentioned study was that hydroxyl radicals are generated also in the absence of UV light. It has been shown that fish cells are generally more susceptible to toxic/oxidative injury than mammalian cells.

Top 10 Chinese TiO2 exporters in 2016

However, it’s also important to note that such adverse effects depend heavily on the form of the titanium dioxide. It can come down to characteristics like “particle shape, purity, surface charge, solubility, agglomeration rate, photo-activation, etc.”

In 2021, the European Food Safety Authority concluded that titanium dioxide is no longer safe in foods due to the same concerns over nanoparticles. As a result, titanium dioxide is now banned as a food additive in the EU. Although studies have shown that the absorption of ingested titanium dioxide is low, evidence suggests that titanium dioxide nanoparticles can accumulate in the body over time. Health Canada deemed it safe in 2022 but noted concerns. Unlike their European counterparts, Canadian officials did not consider studies performed with titanium dioxide nanoparticles alone. 

We’re most often exposed to E171 through the foods we ingest. We find E171 in many food products, like popsicles, ice cream, gum, and more. Another way we ingest E171 is through pharmaceutical drugs. Many pills and capsules contain E171 as an inactive ingredient.  

Moreover, titanium dioxide is also used in rubber formulations to improve the processing and curing properties of rubber compounds. It acts as a catalyst in the vulcanization process, speeding up the cross-linking of rubber molecules and enhancing the overall performance of the final product. This results in rubber products that are stronger, more flexible, and better suited for a wide range of applications.

The reaction liquid is filtered through plate and frame pressure to obtain lithopone in the form of a filter cake with a moisture content of no more than 45%. It is then roasted in a drying furnace to change the crystal form of lithopone, and is then pickled with sulfuric acid at a temperature of 80°C. Finally, it is washed with water, reinforced with colorants, filtered, dried and ground into powder.

In a study published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology in 2016, researchers investigated whether titanium dioxide exposure led to an increase in colorectal tumor creation in mice by using a colitis associated cancer model. By measuring tumor progression markers, the researchers found that mice given titanium dioxide experienced enhanced tumor formation in the distal colon.  There was also a decrease of cells that act as a protective barrier in the colon. The researchers wrote: “These results suggest that E171 could worsen pre-existent intestinal diseases.”