Bulk bag sewing machine

The reaction liquid is filtered through plate and frame pressure to obtain lithopone in the form of a filter cake with a moisture content of no more than 45%. It is then roasted in a drying furnace to change the crystal form of lithopone, and is then pickled with sulfuric acid at a temperature of 80°C. Finally, it is washed with water, reinforced with colorants, filtered, dried and ground into powder.

TiO₂ comes in many different forms. However, only a few of these forms are considered food-grade (acceptable to be added to food). Many studies that raised concern about the safety of TiO₂, including the concern for genotoxicity, used forms of TiO₂ that are not considered acceptable for use in food and have different properties than food-grade TiO₂. Other studies did use food-grade TiO₂, but took steps to break the material down into smaller particles than what would normally be found in food.

Europe

Inventory: Low inventory of mainstream producers, it is expected that the overall size of spot inventory today is low, and there is less stock in mainstream factories.2. Mentality: the buyer has to prepare goods in advance, and the new order price is slightly less willing to purchase in bulk; Because the seller's inventory is small, the manufacturer has no willingness to reduce the price of sales, and the demand for new orders in the market is relatively large.Trend: The load of titanium dioxide enterprises is stable, the willingness to ship at low prices is not strong, and the downstream buyers still have inventory digestion, and the intention to supplement orders in the short term is limited. It is expected that the market price of titanium dioxide is stable today, and the market trading atmosphere is more general.
According to the feedback of manufacturers, the new orders of mainstream factories maintain stable prices, and the overall new volume of the market is limited. On the demand side, the terminal basically had batch replenishment last month, and the purchase intention of new orders was low; On the supply side, mainstream manufacturers normally produce and deliver goods, and the actual output of the industry is stable. Most factories quote a new price of 17,000 yuan/ton or more market negotiation range reference 16000-17200 yuan/ton, plastics and papermaking related downstream feedback part of the tight model price is higher. Recent titanium dioxide raw materials are expected to weaken, titanium dioxide price support is relatively limited, comprehensive market factors, the current titanium dioxide market many buyers hold a wait-and-see mentality.

Another vital aspect to consider when working with a lithopone pigment pricelist is the effect of quality on pricing. Higher purity pigments generally command a premium price because of their enhanced performance characteristics. When choosing a supplier, it’s essential to look for manufacturers who adhere to strict quality control standards. This ensures that the pigment not only meets industry standards but also performs reliably in various applications, thus justifying any additional costs.

Prof. Maged Younes, Chair of EFSA’s expert Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF), wrote of the decision: “Taking into account all available scientific studies and data, the Panel concluded that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive. A critical element in reaching this conclusion is that we could not exclude genotoxicity concerns after consumption of titanium dioxide particles. After oral ingestion, the absorption of titanium dioxide particles is low, however they can accumulate in the body.”

Safety

Following a request for assessment in 2020 by the EU, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessed E171, particularly for its genotoxicity. In 2022, the agency deemed the food additive no longer safe for use.  

Over the last several years, nanoparticles have come under scrutiny for adverse health effects. Nanoparticles are ultrafine particles between 1 to 100 nanometers in diameter. (To put this in perspective, the average human hair is around 80,000 nanometers thick.) Because of their size, which can be engineered and manipulated at the atomic or molecular level, nanoparticles exhibit unique physical, chemical, and biological properties. Titanium dioxide is one of the most commonly produced nanoparticles in the world.

Cosmetics

A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in 2019 sought to examine the effects of titanium dioxide on intestinal inflammation. Researchers did this by feeding rats titanium dioxide nanoparticles and found that, after the course of two to three months, the animals had lower body weights and induced intestinal inflammation. The researchers also found the nanoparticles altered gut microbiota composition and aggravated chronic colitis. The rats also experienced reduced populations of CD4+T cells (which are cells that help organize immune responses by prompting other immune cells to fight infection), regulatory T cells, and white blood cells in mesenteric lymph nodes. The researchers wrote: “Dietary TiO2 nanoparticles could interfere with the balance of the immune system and dynamic of gut microbiome, which may result in low-grade intestinal inflammation and aggravated immunological response to external stimulus, thus introducing potential health risk.”

What's the Verdict?