Titanium
dioxide known as well as Titanium (IV) oxide is a chemical compound which
naturally exist with a molecular mass of TiO2 a molar mass of 79.866
g/mol. It has a white solid appearance in its color, an odorless smell. It has
a density of 4.23 g/cm3, a melting point of 1843o C as
well as a boiling point of 2972oC. It’s insoluble in water I that it
cannot mix with water since they have different densities.
The uses of TiTania.
It
is called Titanium White when is used as a pigment. Titanium dioxide is generally extracted from three components
namely anatase, ilmeniteThe as well as a
substance called rutile. This chemical compound has a wide range of uses
ranging from sunscreen and paint to things such as coloring of food.
The occurrence of Titania.
Brookite,
rutile and anatase are the minerals that Titania exist in its natural form. In
other high pressure form of Titania dioxide, we get monoclinic-baddeleyite and
orthorhombic forms of the compound found in a place known as Bavaria. The main source of Titania is the ilmenite ore since is the major widespread form of the
chemical compound. It is followed by Rutile which has a percentage of 98% of
Titania in its ore.
Titania production.
Titanium dioxide manufacturing depends on some feedstock.
The production of the chemical compound depends on the most well common
production method which at most utilizes one of the mineral element known as
ilmenite. Sulphuric acid is mixed together with ilmenite to this kind of
reaction removes iron oxide kind of group from the ilmenite. The resulting
by-product well known as Iron (II) sulphate is filtered off after it’s
crystallized in order it produces titanium salt only in the solution after
digestion. The Titanium dioxide uses involves
the production of pigment grade of Titania. Apart from the use of the method
above to produce Titania, we can also use the Becher process method to produce
the compound as well as Solvothermal synthesis method which has a relevance in
nanotechnology.
Application of Titania.
The most versed places where they apply the use
of Titania is in varnishes as well as in plastics, paints and papers. This
includes about three quarters of the total amount of Titanium dioxide geared to
consumption. We have other pigment applications printing fibers, inks, cosmetic
products and some food stuff products constitutes to a quarter. The production
of pure Titanium, glass ceramics and other form of glass, electric ceramics and
conductors as well as chemical intermediates are some but a few other
application uses of Titanium dioxide. In some places its pigment is used due to
its brightness and its highness in its refractive index supposed by only
other materials. When it’s deposited as a thin film, some use it to coat
dielectric mirrors and gemstones. Titanium dioxide is used to mark some of the
tennis courts as white lines and many more uses in our day to day applications
in life.