Editing Titanium dioxide (section)

==Production==
[[File:Industrial key players in the production of titanium dioxide.png|thumb|Industrial key players in the production of titanium dioxide - 2022]]
[[File:Evolution production dioxyde de titane.svg|thumb|lang=en|right|Evolution of the global production of titanium dioxide according to process]]

The largest {{Chem|Ti||O|2}} pigment processors are [[Chemours]], [[Venator Materials|Venator]], {{Interlanguage link|Kronos International|lt=Kronos|de}}, and [[Tronox]].<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170420006437/en/Top-5-Vendors-Global-Titanium-Dioxide-Market|title=Top 5 Vendors in the Global Titanium Dioxide Market From 2017-2021: Technavio|date=2017-04-20}}</ref><ref name="Hayes (2011)">{{cite web |last=Hayes|year=2011|first=Tony|title=Titanium Dioxide: A Shining Future Ahead|url=http://argex.ca/documents/Euro_Pacific_Canada_Titanium_Dioxide_August2011.pdf|publisher=Euro Pacific Canada|access-date=16 August 2012|page=5}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> Major paint and coating company end users for pigment grade titanium dioxide include [[Akzo Nobel]], [[PPG Industries]], [[Sherwin Williams]], [[BASF]], [[Kansai Paints]] and [[Valspar]].<ref name="Hayes 2011, p. 3">Hayes (2011), p. 3</ref> Global {{Chem|Ti||O|2}} pigment demand for 2010 was 5.3 Mt with annual growth expected to be about 3–4%.<ref>Hayes (2011), p. 4</ref>

The production method depends on the feedstock.  In addition to ores, other feedstocks include upgraded [[slag]]. Both the chloride process and the sulfate process (both described below) produce titanium dioxide pigment in the rutile crystal form, but the sulfate process can be adjusted to produce the [[anatase]] form. Anatase, being softer, is used in fiber and paper applications. The sulfate process is run as a [[batch production|batch process]]; the chloride process is run as a [[continuous process]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.essentialchemicalindustry.org/chemicals/titanium-dioxide.html|title=Titanium dioxide|website=www.essentialchemicalindustry.org}}</ref>

===Chloride process===
{{Main|Chloride process}}

In [[chloride process]], the ore is treated with chlorine and carbon to give [[titanium tetrachloride]], a volatile liquid that is further purified by distillation.  The TiCl4 is treated with [[oxygen]] to regenerate chlorine and produce the titanium dioxide.

===Sulfate process===
In the sulfate process, ilmenite is treated with [[sulfuric acid]] to extract [[iron(II) sulfate|iron(II) sulfate pentahydrate]]. This process requires concentrated ilmenite (45–60% TiO<sub>2</sub>) or pretreated feedstocks as a suitable source of titanium.<ref name=jv>{{cite web |url=https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/c6/c1/7b/20176ebf24a65c/EP0869194A1.pdf|title=Process for preparing titanium dioxide|last=Vartiainen|first=Jaana|date=7 October 1998}}</ref> The resulting synthetic rutile is further processed according to the specifications of the end user, i.e. pigment grade or otherwise.<ref name="Production">{{cite book |last=Winkler |first=Jochen |title=Titanium Dioxide |year=2003 |isbn=978-3-87870-148-4 |pages=30–31 |publisher=Vincentz Network |location=Hannover}}</ref>

Examples of plants using the sulfate process are the [[Sorel-Tracy]] plant of [[QIT-Fer et Titane]] and the [[Eramet Titanium & Iron]] smelter in [[Tyssedal]] Norway.<ref name="fc1">{{Cite web |vauthors=Withers JC, Cardarelli F, Laughlin J, Loutfy RO |date= |title=Recent Improvements for Electrowinning Titanium Metal from Composite Anodes |url=http://www.francoiscardarelli.ca/PDF_Files/Article_Cardarelli_MER_Process.pdf |location=Tucson, AZ |publisher=Materials & Electrochemical Research (MER) Corporation}}</ref>

===Becher process===
{{Main|Becher process}}
The [[Becher process]] is another method for the production of synthetic rutile from ilmenite. It first oxidizes the ilmenite as a means to separate the iron component.

===Specialized methods===
For specialty applications, TiO<sub>2</sub> films are prepared by various specialized chemistries.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Titanium Dioxide Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Properties, Modifications, and Applications|author1=Chen, Xiaobo |author2=Mao, Samuel S. |journal=Chemical Reviews|year=2007|volume=107|issue=7|pages=2891–2959|doi=10.1021/cr0500535|pmid=17590053}}</ref> Sol-gel routes involve the hydrolysis of titanium [[alkoxide]]s such as [[titanium ethoxide]]:

: Ti(OEt)<sub>4</sub> + 2 H<sub>2</sub>O → TiO<sub>2</sub> + 4 EtOH

A related approach that also relies on molecular precursors involves [[chemical vapor deposition]]. In this method, the alkoxide is volatilized and then decomposed on contact with a hot surface:

: Ti(OEt)<sub>4</sub> → TiO<sub>2</sub> + 2 Et<sub>2</sub>O