DuPont starts up US titanium tetrachloride unit

12 November 2008 17:15  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--DuPont's new titanium tetrachloride purification unit has begun operating at its New Johnsonville titanium dioxide (TiO2) plant in Tennessee, the company announced on Wednesday.

Titanium tetrachloride purification is a key step in the chloride process of TiO2 pigment production.

Construction of the $30m unit was announced in October 2006, and was completed on schedule, DuPont said. It will produce 100m lbs/year (45,000 tonnes/year) of purified titanium tetrachloride, said Rick Straitman, a DuPont spokesman.

Most of the production of the high-purity chemical will be used in the titanium metal manufacturing industry, Straitman said. Titanium metal is used in the production of airplanes, sporting goods and chemical processing equipment, he added.

Titanium tetrachloride is also used in some plastics and in pearlescent pigments used in products ranging from cars and cosmetics to bicycle helmets.

"The start-up of this unit is a significant milestone for DuPont to help satisfy the growing global demand for high-purity titanium tetrachloride in innovative applications," said Richard Olson, vice president and general manager of DuPont Titanium Technologies.

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By: Larry Terry
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