The development of my country's titanium dioxide industry has continued to be sluggish in recent years. The total production volume of titanium dioxide has increased, but the sales price has continued to decline, which has had a negative impact on the development of many titanium dioxide companies. In 2014, the ex-factory price of domestic titanium dioxide increased slightly, which stimulated titanium dioxide manufacturers to a certain extent. However, in the fiercely competitive domestic and foreign markets, its development prospects are still worrying.
Since 1998, the titanium dioxide industry has experienced significant production increases, driven by the coatings and construction industries. By 2006, domestic titanium dioxide production will reach 1 million tons. During the financial crisis from 2007 to 2008, many midstream and downstream companies were on the verge of bankruptcy. The demand for titanium dioxide fell rapidly, and the operating rate was below 60%. It was not until 2009 that market demand slowly recovered, and the titanium dioxide industry gradually recovered under the influence of the general environment.
I have said that titanium dioxide is experiencing major environmental issues while experiencing market fluctuations. Restricted by science and technology, the sulfuric acid method is commonly used in the preparation of titanium dioxide in my country. This preparation method, which has long been abandoned by European and American countries, requires 100-150 tons of fresh water to produce one ton of titanium dioxide, and produces 8 tons of 20% waste sulfuric acid, 100 tons of acidic wastewater, 8 tons of waste residue, and other products such as sulfur dioxide, Acid fog, etc., have brought serious harm to our epoxy. In the face of sluggish market development, the environmental protection treatment costs of titanium dioxide are far greater than its profits.