Du Point Tio2

E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.: Titanium Dioxide

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company

FOUNDED IN 1802, DUPONT PUTS SCIENCE TO WORK BY CREATING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS ESSENTIAL TO A BETTER, SAFER, HEALTHIER LIFE FOR PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. OPERATING IN MORE THAN 70 COUNTRIES, DUPONT OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR MARKETS INCLUDING AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, ELECTRONICS, COMMUNICATIONS, SAFETY AND PROTECTION, HOME AND CONSTRUCTION, TRANSPORTATION AND APPAREL.

Titanium Dioxide (TiO2)Production and Manufacturing Process

TiO2 is produced from either ilmenite, rutile or titanium slag. Titanium pigment is extracted by using either sulphuric acid (sulphate process) or chlorine (chloride route). The sulphate process employs simpler technology than the chloride route and can use lower grade, cheaper ores. However, it generally has higher production costs and with acid treatment is more expensive to build than a chloride plant. But the latter may require the construction of a chloralkali unit.

Competitive Advantages

Du Pont has a few competitive advantages over its competitors as of 1972. Due to the size of the firm and its technological superiority, Du Pont has a dominant position in many markets. Du Pont also has a competitive advantage in the chloride process because of the recent enacted environmental protection legislation, which has made TiO2 production costs much higher. Du Pont will benefit from this because most of its production uses the ilmenite chloride process, which is much cheaper than the processes used by competitors.

Company Background

 Diversified manufacturer of fibers, plastics,

industrial chemicals and other specialty chemical products  Conservatively managed company with longstanding AAA bond rating  Relied on retained earnings to fund capital expenditure programs  Organized into 10 industrial departments (second smallest being pigments)

Titanium Dioxide Market

 White chemical agent used in...