Titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide 

Titanium dioxide is a white, odorless, and insoluble substance that  occurs naturally in several mineral forms, such as rutile and anatase. It  is widely used as a pigment for various products, such as paints,  plastics, cosmetics, and food. It also has some applications in  nanotechnology and photocatalysis. Titanium dioxide has the  chemical formula TiO2 and the molecular weight of 79.866 g/mol.

Types of Titanium dioxide 

There are two main types of titanium dioxide: rutile and anatase.  Rutile is the most common and stable form of titanium dioxide and  has a tetragonal crystal structure. It has a higher refractive index,  higher density, and higher hardness than anatase. Rutile is more  resistant to weathering and UV radiation and is preferred for outdoor  applications. Anatase is a less common and metastable form of  titanium dioxide and it is more active as a photocatalyst and is  preferred for indoor applications.

There are also different grades of titanium dioxide based on the  particle size and the corresponding uses. Generally, there are two  grades of TiO2: pigment grade and nano grade. Pigment grade TiO2  has an average particle size of 0.2-0.4 micrometers, and is used to  provide color, opacity, and brightness to various products. Nano grade TiO2 has an average particle size of less than 100 nanometers  and is used to enhance the properties of materials, such as UV  protection, antibacterial activity, and self-cleaning ability.

Some examples of Titanium dioxide are R878, R900, R 996, R5588,  R838, R868, R298, R405, R105, R219, R5566, etc.

Applications of Titanium dioxide 

• Pigment: Titanium dioxide is the most widely used white  pigment in the world, due to its high refractive index, brightness,  opacity, and stability. It is used to color and enhance the  appearance of various products, such as paints, plastics, paper,  ink, cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals. Titanium dioxide  pigment can be found in many everyday items, such as  toothpaste, sunscreen, candy, and paint. 
• Photocatalyst: Titanium dioxide is also a semiconducting  material that can generate electron-hole pairs when exposed to  light. These charge carriers can initiate various chemical  reactions on the surface of titanium dioxide, such as oxidation  and reduction. This property makes titanium dioxide a powerful  photocatalyst that can degrade organic pollutants, kill bacteria,  and produce hydrogen from water. Titanium dioxide  

photocatalyst can be used for environmental remediation, water  purification, air purification, self-cleaning surfaces, and solar  energy conversion. 

• Nanomaterial: Titanium dioxide can also form nanostructures with different shapes and sizes, such as nanoparticles,  nanotubes, nanowires, nanosheets, and nanorods. These  nanostructures have unique physical and chemical properties  that differ from the bulk material. For example, they have higher  surface area, higher reactivity, higher quantum efficiency, and  tunable band gap. These properties make titanium dioxide  nanomaterials attractive for various applications in  

nanotechnology, such as sensors, biosensors, drug delivery,  photocatalysis, lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, solar cells,  and medical imaging.

These are some of the major applications of titanium dioxide that  demonstrate its importance and potential in science and  technology. Titanium dioxide is a fascinating material that has been  studied for decades and still offers new possibilities for innovation  and discovery.