Chlorination process technology, comparatively speaking, requires less energy source and discharges a smaller amount of pollution, making it worldwide acknowledged advanced technology.

 

The proportion of global chlorination process titanium dioxide capacity has already reached 60 percent, and few of the developed countries still produce titanium dioxide with the eco-unfriendly sulfuric acid process. In fact, the last factory of sulfuric acid process titanium dioxide in the United States was shut down in 2006.

 

In china, however, popularization of chlorination process is far from satisfactory. Back to year 2005, the development of chlorination technology was already listed as one of the key projects in the industrial restructuring policies issued by National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). Nevertheless, according to latest statistics, only three Chinese titanium dioxide producers among total 60 have established chlorination process production lines today.

 

The two most likely reasons are global giants’ monopoly over core technology and high cost of technological transformation or waste disposal, says Bian Jianwei, SCI (SUBLIME CHINA INFORMATION GROUP)’s Senior Editor.

 

The waste treatment cost of producing every metric ton of titanium dioxide with chlorination process would be 800 yuan, actually far less than that with the outdated sulfuric acid process (around 1,900 yuan). But analysis indicates that continuous price slumps and severe inventory backlog in recent years have drawn manufacturers’ attention and capital from waste disposal.

 

The annual capacity of chlorination process titanium dioxide in China is about 150,000 metric tons, roughly 5.2% of total titanium dioxide capacity nationwide (2.9 million metric tons). And the productivity of sulfuric acid process titanium dioxide in China has risen dramatically by around 350% in the past decade.