Description of Kronos Worldwide Inc's Business Segments
TiO2 for coatings - Our TiO2 is used to provide opacity, durability, tinting
strength and brightness in industrial coatings, as well as coatings for commercial
and residential interiors and exteriors, automobiles, aircraft, machines, appliances,
traffic paint and other special purpose coatings. The amount of TiO2 used in
coatings varies widely depending on the opacity, color and quality desired.
In general, the higher the opacity requirement of the coating, the greater the
TiO2 content.
TiO2 for plastics - We produce TiO2 pigments that improve the optical and physical
properties in plastics, including whiteness and opacity. TiO2 is used to provide
opacity in items such as containers and packaging materials, and vinyl products
such as windows, door profiles and siding. TiO2 also generally provides hiding
power, neutral undertone, brightness and surface durability for housewares,
appliances, toys, computer cases and food packages. TiO2’s high brightness
along with its opacity, is used in some engineering plastics to help mask their
undesirable natural color. TiO2 is also used in masterbatch, which is a concentrate
of TiO2 and other additives and is one of the largest uses for TiO2 in the plastics
end-use market. In masterbatch, the TiO2 is dispersed at high concentrations
into a plastic resin and is then used by manufacturers of plastic containers,
bottles, packaging and agricultural films.
TiO2 for paper - Our TiO2 is used in the production of several types of paper,
including laminate (decorative) paper, filled paper and coated paper to provide
whiteness, brightness, opacity and color stability. Although we sell our TiO2
to all segments of the paper end-use market, our primary focus is on the TiO2
grades used in paper laminates, where several layers of paper are laminated
together using melamine resin under high temperature and pressure. The top layer
of paper contains TiO2 and plastic resin and is the layer that is printed with
decorative patterns. Paper laminates are used to replace materials such as wood
and tile for such applications as counter tops, furniture and wallboard. TiO2
is beneficial in these applications because it assists in preventing the material
from fading or changing color after prolonged exposure to sunlight and other
weathering agents.
TiO2 for other applications - We produce TiO2 to improve the opacity and hiding
power of printing inks. TiO2 allows inks to achieve very high print quality
while not interfering with the technical requirements of printing machinery,
including low abrasion, high printing speed and high temperatures. Our TiO2
is also used in textile applications where TiO2 functions as an opacifying and
delustering agent. In man-made fibers such as rayon and polyester, TiO2 corrects
an otherwise undesirable glossy and translucent appearance. Without the presence
of TiO2, these materials would be unsuitable for use in many textile applications.
We produce high purity sulfate process anatase TiO2 used to provide opacity,
whiteness and brightness in a variety of cosmetic and personal care products,
such as skin cream, lipstick, eye shadow and toothpaste. Our TiO2 is also found
in food products, such as candy and confectionaries, and in pet foods where
it is used to obtain uniformity of color and appearance. In pharmaceuticals,
our TiO2 is used commonly as a colorant in pill and capsule coatings as well
as in liquid medicines to provide uniformity of color and appearance. Kronos®
purified anatase grades meet the applicable requirements of the CTFA (Cosmetics,
Toiletries and Fragrances Association), USP and BP (United States Pharmacopoeia
and British Pharmacopoeia) and the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration).
We own and operate two ilmenite mines in Norway pursuant to a governmental concession
with an unlimited term. Ilmenite is a raw material used directly as a feedstock
by some sulfate-process TiO2 plants. We also sell ilmenite ore to third parties,
some of whom are our competitors, and we sell an ilmenite-based specialty product
to the oil and gas industry. The mines have estimated ilmenite reserves that
are expected to last at least 50 years.
We manufacture and sell iron-based chemicals, which are co-products and processed
co-products of the sulfate and chloride process TiO2 pigment production. These
co-product chemicals are marketed through our Ecochem division and are primarily
used as treatment and conditioning agents for industrial effluents and municipal
wastewater as well as in the manufacture of iron pigments, cement and agricultural
products.
We manufacture and sell titanium oxychloride and titanyl sulfate, which are
side-stream specialty products from the production of TiO2. Titanium oxychloride
is used in specialty applications in the formulation of pearlescent pigments,
production of electroceramic capacitors for cell phones and other electronic
devices. Titanyl sulfate productions are used in pearlescent pigments, natural
gas pipe and other specialty applications.
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