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Note: Aimed at cost saving, 20 Microns' barytes opacifier and alumino-silicate extender grades can partially replace TiO2 in paints and coatings by 15-25%
Leading Indian industriaL minerals producer, 20 Microns Ltd, has developed two new grades for the replacement of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) in solvent and water based paints and coatings -- Lithomer-R, an opacifier, and Alsil ZX, an an extender for TiO 2.
In mineral coating applications TiO 2 efficiently scatters visible light, and by doing so it imparts brightness, opacity and whiteness to paints and coatings. However, the cost of TiO2 has risen steadily since 2008, and in May the world's top five producers all increased their TiO2 grades by $75/tonne or more (see IM June '09: Kronos sparks TiO 2 price resurgence ).
With raw material costs rising, paints and coatings are also becoming more expensive. There are two ways...