Study on optimising the benefits of titanium dioxide in paints
A recent work focuses in formulation factors that affect the light scattering efficiency and the durability performance of TiO2.
![Titanium dioxide is used in almost all paints. Picture source: Kateryna_Kon - stock.adobe.com. - A picture of pieces of titanium dioxide.](https://www.european-coatings.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Study_on_optimising_the_benefits_of_titanium_dioxide_in_paints-scaled-805x0-c-default.jpg)
TiO2 is found virtually in every coatings lab and manufacturing site around the world and is used in almost all paints.
The primary role of TiO2 is to provide brightness and opacity, with a secondary role in many exterior paints of improving durability. The effectiveness of TiO2 as a brightener or opacifier is greatly affected by the specifics of the paint formulation and by the paint making process.
This sensitivity can be understood in terms of the physics that govern light scattering. As for improving paint durability, TiO2 is an excellent UV light absorber and protects underlying resin from harmful UV radiation.
Techniques to optimise these properties
However, this benefit can be offset by the formation of radicals at the TiO2/resin interface. The new paper focuses on the formulation factors that affect the light scattering efficiency and the durability performance of TiO2 and techniques to optimise these properties.
The study has been published in Journal of Coatings Technology and Research, Volume 17, Issue 1.