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China is a large
producer of titanium dioxide, coatings, paints, pigments, and so on. With this
regulation to be in force, what is the future for so many enterprises of the
products in China?
Industry
insiders point out that the dispute over the potential risks of titanium dioxide to human health has been going on for 3 years and was originated in
France. According to EU regulations on the classification, labelling and
packaging (CLP) of substances and mixtures, a Class 2 decision to classify
titanium dioxide as a suspected carcinogen by inhalation was made by the
European Commission in October last year and has now officially entered into
force. The transition period is until September 2021.
According to
reports, the comprehensive output of the 41 full-process titanium dioxide
enterprises with normal production conditions in China has reached 3.18 million
tons in 2019. The increase was 11.76%. China has become the largest country in
the production and consumption of titanium dioxide. However, due to the
scattered production capacity and low-end products, the gap between Chinese titanium
dioxide enterprises and foreign well-known titanium dioxide companies is still
large in terms of management and personnel protection.
Relevant data
show that the consumption of the paint and coating industry accounts for 60% of
the global titanium dioxide industry sales revenue, another 16% is used for
plastics, 14% is used for papermaking, 3% is used for printing inks, and 7% is
used for other (including rubber, cosmetics , Medicine, enamel and chemical fiber,
etc.). At present, the domestic consumption of titanium dioxide is basically
consistent with the global consumption data.
Zhou Lei,
Secretary General of the National Chemical Industry Productivity Promotion
Center's Titanium White Center, said in an interview with the reporter of China
Chemical Industry Daily: First of all, titanium dioxide is a non-toxic white
inorganic pigment, and has the best opacity, whiteness and brightness. It is
considered as one of the best white pigments with stable chemical properties
and performance in the world today. Titanium dioxide are used as inert
inorganic compounds for white pigments in many industrial fields, including paints,
coatings, printing inks, etc. The production of titanium dioxide has played a
key role in providing the necessary product properties of such products, such
as whiteness, coverage, gloss, brightness, stability and durability, which
cannot be achieved by other pigment raw materials.
Secondly, from
the experiments carried out by the European Union, the scientific research
behind this conclusion that titanium dioxide is carcinogenic is based on tests
on rats. The experiment said that "a large amount of inhalation of
titanium dioxide dust leads to significant damage to the particle clearance
mechanism of rats' lungs." But experts in the European coatings industry
believe that this experiment is unscientific and is a result that does not
occur in human lungs. " This effect discovered in rats is not caused by
the chemical action of titanium dioxide, but by the simple existence of
excessive dust particles in the lung, which causes the chronic inflammation of
rat lung cells. " Experimental data show that rats are exposed to titanium
dioxide at levels that are about 40 times higher than the highest levels that
factory workers may be exposed to in their work. At present, production workers
who process titanium dioxide in the industry are unlikely to be exposed to such
levels.
Zhou Lei pointed
out that although this EU regulation will have some impact to the export
business for domestic titanium dioxide enterprises, there is no doubt that it
has sounded the alarm to the entire industry and all titanium dioxide
enterprises should attach great importance to it. The future of
the entire titanium dioxide industry is to develop products into the
mid-to-high-end market. To this end, Zhou Lei suggested that titanium dioxide
enterprises should do 3 things. First, during the production of titanium
dioxide, it is necessary to pay attention to the personal protection of the front-line
operators and develop standards protective regulations to prevent the operators
for injuries due to excessive inhalation of titanium dioxide. Second, the
degree of enterprise production automation should be increased, especially that
the auxiliary machinery should be used as much as possible in the packaging
process so as to reduce or avoid manual operations. Thirdly, titanium dioxide
enterprises should do their own product application directions and formulate
relevant standards to meet their own development requirements.
The Titanium
Dioxide Sub-center and the Titanium Dioxide Industry Technology Innovation
Alliance are working with relevant standard setting units to prepare and revise
related product applications, product standards and production protection
standards for upstream and downstream enterprises of titanium dioxide, urging
domestic titanium dioxide enterprises and industries to adjust product
structure. Zhou Lei said
that in the future, the titanium dioxide sub-center and the titanium dioxide
innovation alliance will guide titanium dioxide enterprises to work together to
improve the safety protection standards of production line personnel, and
formulate and revise relevant protection standards. They shall also work with
the titanium dioxide enterprises for the products application evaluation, and
work to improve the evaluation of titanium dioxide application evaluation
laboratory. Through these related work, we will continuously improve the
production and management capabilities of titanium dioxide enterprises. At the
same time, we will improve product quality through evaluation of product
applications, and strive to make our titanium dioxide products more refined and
stronger, and narrow our gap with foreign titanium dioxide enterprises.
Bi Sheng,
director of the National Titanium Dioxide Industry Expert Advisory Committee,
also believes that this matter will not have any practical impact on China's
titanium dioxide industry, because titanium dioxide is a popular multi-purpose
product, and it will not take into account the theoretical possible
carcinogenic risk.
Yao Hengping,
Secretary General of the Titanium Dioxide Industry Branch of the China Coatings
Industry Association, believes that this regulation will not have a substantial
impact on the production and operation of enterprises in the titanium dioxide
industry. Titanium dioxide, as a white pigment with special properties, is
widely used in paints, coatings, printing inks, and wallpaper. It is
irreplaceable, and titanium dioxide plays a key role in the performance of the
above products, such as whiteness, coverage, gloss, brightness, stability,
durability, UV resistance, pigment performance, etc. In the foreseeable future,
titanium dioxide can’t be replaced by other pigment materials. In addition,
titanium dioxide is also used in the production of many other consumer goods,
and is used in environmental protection. Its application range is quite
extensive, with a global production capacity of more than 6 million tons, and
China accounts for more than half. I think that titanium dioxide production
enterprises should pay due regard to this regulation, but the normal production
and operation of an enterprise need not be affected by it.
General manager
of Jiangsu Jinpu Titanium Peng Anjun told reporters that the experiment mainly
focused on the effects of fine titanium dioxide dust after inhalation. This
regulation applies to global titanium dioxide enterprises, but currently there
is no substitute for titanium dioxide in downstream applications. I think there
shall not have much impact for the export business. In the later period, it is
necessary to make a labeling prompt on the packaging bag, just like the
cigarette box indicates that smoking is harmful to health.
Mao Ming,
general manager of Qianjiang Fangyuan Titanium Dioxide Co., Ltd believes that
this regulation shall have a periodical effect, but it cannot change the status
of titanium dioxide as the best white pigment.
Fu Yijiang,
deputy secretary-general of the China Titanium Dioxide Industry Branch of the
China Coatings Industry Association, believes that there are many problems in
the specific implementation of this regulation, and the industry must take
certain measures to respond to the specific implementation of the EU. Titanium
dioxide is currently an irreplaceable non-toxic white pigment in the world, and
it is impossible to disable it, so it is not necessary to render it at this
time.
Yan Titan, a
titanium industry analyst, believes that the incident has little impact on the
titanium dioxide market in China. The reason is that the transition period to
September 2021 is more than a year left for our manufacturers and customers to
take corresponding measures. Even when it takes into effect, it will only have
impact in a short period. Also, only a large amount of inhalation of titanium
dioxide particles can damage lung organs and cause carcinogenic risks, which
hardly exists in the normal operation and products application process. Also,
because no other industrial raw material can completely replace titanium
dioxide, titanium dioxide must be used. Moreover, the cost-effective advantages
of titanium dioxide from China is very comprehensive, and customers can not
refuse in the short term.
Chinese Industry Leaders of titanium dioxide in OKCHEM: