MATERIALS | PIGMENTS
plastics-grade TiO2
have caused the company to
focus on future-proofing formulations. “For Tronox, this means selecting organics not only for technical compatibility but also for regulatory resilience and supply chain security. These considerations are now central to product development, supported by best practice sharing and deep regulatory insight,” the company explained.
The International Carbon Black Association each year recognises compa- nies that have superior safety records at their manufacturing sites. Eight Orion plants won Gold Awards this year: Belpre, Ohio; Berre-l’Étang, France; Huaibei, China; Ivanhoe, Louisiana; Jaslo, Poland; Paulinia, Brazil; Ravenna, Italy; and Yeosu, South Korea (pictured)
internationally in the UK, Spain, France, the US, Malaysia, Germany and other international locations. Regulatory shifts are also affecting the industry. In
August, the European Court of Justice confirmed that titanium dioxide powders had been wrongly classified as suspected carcinogens, and that solid mixtures, such as masterbatches, had been wrongly required to display an EUH212 statement on their labels, said Anne Thüsing, head of Communications at Eurocolour, a European umbrella organisation for manufacturers of pigments, dyes, fillers, frits, ceramic and glass colours, and ceramic glazes in Europe. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) subsequently updated its website and removed the harmonised classification of titanium dioxide, reported TDMA, a sector group of Cefic (the European Chemical Industry Council). “This follows the dismissal of the appeals on 1 August 2025 of the European Commission and the French Government by the European Court of Justice that upheld the judgment of the General Court that included finding that an error had been made in the Commission’s assessment of the reliability and acceptability of the study on which the classification was based,” TDMA said. TDMA received advice that the annulment is retroactive, taking effect from the date of adoption of the regulation in 2019. “This means obligations such as labelling and the inclusion of information in the safety datasheet are no longer required,” TDMA said. The EU TiO2
classification change “removed a
longstanding regulatory burden and offered a clearer path forward for pigment producers and plastics compounders alike,” said Tronox. On the other hand, changes in hazard classifica- tion and scrutiny of organic treatments used in
20 COMPOUNDING WORLD | November 2025
Black advances Carbon black is widely used in many applications, including rubber and elastomers, printing inks, coatings, and thermoplastic compounds. In thermoplastics, some applications focus on
www.compoundingworld.com
New white pigments Tronox introduced two new products for the plastics market this year. TiONA 233, a semi-dura- ble pigment for polyolefins and engineering polymers in applications such as packaging, agricultural films, and footwear, offers optical efficiency, dispersion, and UV resistance. TiONA 8890 is a neutral tone pigment designed for polycarbonate and engineering plastics, with an innovative organic treatment that provides excel- lent thermal stability, colour retention and impact strength, the company said. The latest TiO2
pigments for plastics from LB
Group (formerly known as Lomon Billions Group) are made with a high-performance chloride process and are bright, blue-toned white pigments with optimised durability and processability. The Billions BLR-883 TiO2
pigment for engineering plastics has
excellent optical properties, minimal impact on melt flow rate and offers excellent degradation resist- ance in polycarbonate systems, said Julie Reid, Strategic Marketing Director at LB Group. “BLR-883 pigment also helps to prevent the yellowing and thinning of polycarbonate resin, helping to reduce impact on mechanical properties,” she said. The Billions BLR-885 TiO2
pigment is intended
for durable exterior plastics, such as window profiles and agricultural films. “It features a dense silica surface treatment that can absorb UV rays in plastic systems. This helps counteract the destruc- tive effect of UV on the plastic matrix, thus reducing the photoactivity of the pigment and providing excellent weather resistance and colour stability in PVC systems,” said Reid. The new Billions BLR-887 pigment for master-
batches has a surface coating designed to provide lacing resistance and processing performance when used in highly loaded masterbatches, high-temperature extrusion coatings and cast films, and engineering plastics, the company said.
IMAGE: ORION
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