- The Role of China in the Global Talc and Titanium Dioxide Market
A few processes are used to produce TiO2 pigment. Rutile TiO2 is found in nature. This is because the rutile crystal structure is the thermodynamically stable form of titanium dioxide. In chemical processes natural TiO2 can be purified, thus obtaining synthetic TiO2. The pigment can be made from ores, rich in titanium, that are mined from the earth.
Two chemical routes are used to make both rutile and anatase TiO2 pigments.
Furthermore, this packaging has been shown to have both antibacterial and photocatalytic activity, the latter of which reduces ultraviolet (UV) exposure (5Trusted Source, 6).
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.