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additives feature | Titanium dioxide New investments


Huntsman recently completed an update of its TiO2 manufacturing facility in Scarlino, Italy. The new iron-sulphate plant built there will allow the company to use a wider range of feedstock to produce its TiOxide pigment and its Altiris pigment, reduce the generation of


gypsum (a co-product), and convert spent acid from TiO2 pigment manufacturing into iron sulphate products for the water treatment, animal feed and cement markets. The plant was completed on 1 July. This summer, the company’s TiO2


manufacturing


facility at Greatham in the northeast of England received three Chemical Industry awards: the ABB Manufacturing & Resource Efficiency Award, the Environmental Leadership Award and (as a joint winner) the Company of the Year Award. This year Huntsman


Cristal TiOna 696 is being used in heat management applications, such as this installation by Duro-Last Roofing


Light-reflecting properties Traditionally, TiO2


has been used to provide opacity to


plastic by attenuating visible wavelengths of light. As expectations for plastic expand, however, so have the expectations for TiO2


notes that an important advancement in TiO2


, says Niedenzu at DuPont. He is its


development for attenuating additional wavelengths such as infrared (IR) or ultraviolet (UV). Huntsman’s Altiris 800 IR-reflecting pigment was


introduced in 2012 and was initially targeted at helping to make exterior products such as vinyl siding more durable (see Compounding World, October 2013). However, the TiO2


based additive has since attracted


interest for other applications and it has recently been tested in polyethylene (PE) greenhouse film. PE greenhouse film needs to transmit UV light so


Huntsman is testing its Altiris 800


IR-reflecting pigment in PE greenhouse films


bees can see flowers for pollination. It also retains heat for warmth, but too much incoming near infrared energy – especially in sunny climates – can make the greenhouse too hot. In the laboratory, Huntsman found that films containing Altiris 800 pigment reduced infrared transmission in the near infrared (700 – 2500 nm) wavelength region, which the company notes preserves the wavelength balance of natural sunlight that plants are accustomed to and helps to reduce overheating. Cristal’s TiOna 696 is a durable grade with high solar


reflectivity being used in heat management applica- tions, such as white-pigmented cool roofing. The company is also working on a developmental product to manage IR radiation. In addition, Cristal offers ultrafine TiO2


grades which use photocatalytic action to decom-


pose organic and other unwanted material from the surface that are then “washed” by rain to add a self-cleaning aspect to a cool roof. “The whole cool roof area, especially in TPO, is showing very strong growth in North America,” notes Lashway.


22 COMPOUNDING WORLD | October 2014 www.compoundingworld.com


celebrated 80 years since the production of its first TiO2 pigment manufactured at its Billingham facility in the UK in July 1934. Huntsman has just completed its acquisition of Rockwood’s performance additives and TiO2


businesses. Henan Billions Chemicals, one of the major produc-


ers in China, introduced two grades for export this year. BLR-631 for masterbatch applications is targeted at Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and South Africa, while BLR-688, designed for exterior PVC profile and pipes, is for sale in North America, Asia Pacific, and South Africa. Both grades are manufactured using a sulphate process. The company also plans to develop grades using its chloride-process production line, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2014, with commercial production starting in the first half of 2015. The company expects that its export volume to increase quickly once it has chloride-process products. Canadian-based Argex is moving forward with


construction of its first industrial-sized TiO2 plant to be located in Salaberry-de-Valleyfied, Québec. The 50,000


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