Since then, there has been a few animal studies suggesting titanium dioxide is connected to cancer. A 2017 study in Scientific Reports, for instance, found that rats with titanium dioxide in their diet had impaired immune systems, which could contribute to autoimmune diseases and colorectal cancer.
Titanium dioxide comes in the form of a white powder and is sometimes used in cosmetics to adjust a color to a lighter shade. This is also why it can produce a white cast.
- The production process of lithopone involves several steps, including mixing barium sulfate and zinc sulfide in a specific ratio, followed by grinding the mixture into a fine powder. This powder is then treated with sulfide to form the final product. The factories where lithopone is produced are equipped with advanced machinery and equipment to ensure the quality and consistency of the pigment.
Lithopone is an inorganic white pigment, obtained from co-precipitation of Zinc sulfide (ZnS) and Barium sulfate (BaSO4). As a white pigment, it acts as a cost-effective alternative for TiO2. Some of the properties of Lithopone include high brightness and performance under UV exposure. Lithopone requires less wetting agent to achieve optimum wetting of its surface. It is commercially graded on the basis of amount of ZnS. Its grades include 28%, 30%, and 60% ZnS. As a comparatively inexpensive white pigment, Lithopone is presently used in various paint formulations, road marking paints, jointing compounds, and putties.
- The price list for China lithopone B311 and B301 reflects their quality and performance characteristics. As a general rule, B311 is priced higher than B301 due to its superior hiding power and durability. However, both grades of lithopone offer good value for money and can help manufacturers achieve the desired aesthetics and performance in their products.
Polyvinyl Butyral Resin (PVB) is a solvent Resin synthesized by the acetal reaction of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) and butyraldehyde in contact with coal.
Because Pvb Resin itself contains a lot of hydroxyl groups, it can bridge with some thermosetting resins to improve the properties of chemicals and film hardness.
Because PVB resin has the above excellent characteristics, it is widely used in adhesive safety glass intermediate film of automobile and building, rust cutting primer, baking paint, wood paint, printing ink, adhesive of electronic ceramics and printed circuit board, adhesive between metal and metal, between metal and plastic, modifier of hot-melt adhesive, iron dimension waterproof processing of textile, etc. A variety of new industrial applications are also continuously developed and applied.
The general characteristics of PVB are as follows:
The appearance of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) resin is white spherical porous particles or powder, and its specific gravity is 1:1; However, the filling density is only 0.20 ~ 0.35g/ml.
Thermal properties
The glass transfer temperature (TG) of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) resin ranges from 50 ℃ of low degree of recombination to 90 ℃ of high degree of recombination; The glass transfer temperature can also be adjusted by adding an appropriate amount of Plasticizer to reduce it below 10 ℃.
Mechanical properties
The coating of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) resin has good water resistance, water resistance and oil resistance (it is resistant to aliphatic, mineral, animal and vegetable oils, but not to sesame oil). PVB is widely used in printing inks and coatings because it contains high hydroxyl groups and has good dispersibility to pigments.
In addition, its chemical structure contains both hydrophobic acetal and acetic ACID groups and hydrophilic hydroxyl groups, so PVB has good adhesion to glass, metal, plastic, leather and wood.
Chemical reaction
Any chemical that can react with secondary alcohol will also react with PVB. Therefore, in many applications of PVB, it is often used with thermosetting resin to bridge and harden with the hydroxyl group of PVB, so as to achieve the characteristics of chemical resistance, solvent resistance and water resistance.
Of course, films with different characteristics (such as hardness, toughness, impact resistance, etc.) can be prepared according to different types of thermosetting resin and different mixing ratio with PVB.
Safety properties
Currently, titanium dioxide as a food additive is classified as GRAS, or “generally recognized as safe.”
6.0-8.0
Other research suggests that E171 could cause harm; however, those research processes did not consider how people are typically exposed to E171. Research that adds E171 to drinking water, utilizes direct injections, or gives research animals E171 through a feeding apparatus is not replicating typical human exposure.

Likewise, the plastics industry relies heavily on titanium dioxide to enhance the appearance and durability of plastic products. With the increasing popularity of plastic packaging and consumer goods, the demand for titanium dioxide in this industry is expected to witness steady growth in the coming years. The versatility of titanium dioxide makes it a valuable additive to improve the brightness, opacity and color stability of plastic materials, ensuring improved product performance and consumer satisfaction.
Aside from the attributes we mentioned above, titanium dioxide is known for its durability, which can create a pigment that’s extra long-lasting. On top of that, combined with other colors, titanium dioxide can instantly amplify color by providing intensity and brightness. That has made it particularly popular for foundation and lipstick formulas.
In addition to consistency, manufacturers must also consider the cost implications of buff percentage. Higher levels of coating on titanium dioxide particles can increase production costs, as more coating materials are required. However, a lower buff percentage may lead to a lower quality product that does not meet the needs of customers. Balancing the cost and quality considerations of buff percentage is a key challenge for manufacturers in the titanium dioxide industry.
The FDA continues to allow for the safe use of titanium dioxide as a color additive in foods generally according to the specifications and conditions, including that the quantity of titanium dioxide does not exceed 1% by weight of the food, the FDA said in a statement to USA TODAY.
Conclusion
The cytotoxic effect was tested through the colorimetric assay employing 3′-[1-[(phenylamino) -carbonyl]−3,4-tetrazolium]-bis(4‑methoxy-6-nitro) benzene-sulfonic acid hydrate (XTT) by reading the absorbance at 490 nm after 3 h of incubation post treatment [28]. The absorbance is proportional to the metabolic rate of viable (live) cells.
4.3 g/Cm3
Stability and darkening:
Relative to a lot of other things that people should be concerned about, titanium dioxide in my mind, is really low on the list. I would be more worried about some substitutes that people are using for titanium dioxide that don't have decades of research associated with it, said Westerhoff.
Genotoxicity refers to the ability of a chemical substance to damage DNA , the genetic material of cells. As genotoxicity may lead to carcinogenic effects, it is essential to assess the potential genotoxic effect of a substance to conclude on its safety.
“Unlike some other chemicals used in food, titanium dioxide has no nutritive, preservative, or food safety function—its use is purely cosmetic,” said CSPI principal scientist for additives and supplements, Thomas Galligan. “The prospect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles damaging DNA is concerning enough for us to recommend consumers avoid foods that have it.”
2. Hazard identification The MSDS should outline any potential hazards associated with the handling and use of lithopone. This includes information on the physical and chemical properties of the product, as well as any potential health hazards or environmental risks.
Tio2 Powder CR-930 Titanium Dioxide Free Sample
Following a request for assessment in 2020 by the EU, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessed E171, particularly for its genotoxicity. In 2022, the agency deemed the food additive no longer safe for use.
But despite all these cries of alarm, five years on from the original study no further testing into the safety of Titanium Dioxide in our food supply