Lithopone is an inorganic white pigment, obtained from co-precipitation of Zinc sulfide (ZnS) and Barium sulfate (BaSO4). As a white pigment, it acts as a cost-effective alternative for TiO2. Some of the properties of Lithopone include high brightness and performance under UV exposure. Lithopone requires less wetting agent to achieve optimum wetting of its surface. It is commercially graded on the basis of amount of ZnS. Its grades include 28%, 30%, and 60% ZnS. As a comparatively inexpensive white pigment, Lithopone is presently used in various paint formulations, road marking paints, jointing compounds, and putties.

In 2019, EFSA published a statement on the review of the risk related to the exposure to food additive titanium dioxide (E171) performed by the French Agency for Food, Environment and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES). In its statement, EFSA highlighted that the ANSES opinion reiterated the uncertainties and data gaps previously identified by EFSA and did not present findings that invalidated the Authority’s previous conclusions on the safety of titanium dioxide.

Pendant longtemps on a reproché au lithopone sa mauvaise tenue à l'extérieur, due à la dégradation photolytique du sulfure de zinc et/ou à la présence de traces de chlore, provoquant un noircissement du revêtement. Même si la recherche a permis d'éradiquer en grande partie ce problème, on réserve son emploi dans les peintures intérieures pour les raisons suivantes :

For a review published in 2023 in the journal Environmental Pollution, researchers examined E171 as a possible factor promoting obesity-related metabolic disorders. Because gut microbiota play an important role in immune function maintenance and development, and because titanium dioxide as a food additive has been shown to alter gut microbiota, researchers wanted to review “the dysregulations along the gut microbiota-immune system axis after oral TiO2 exposure compared to those reported in obese or diabetic patients, and to highlight potential mechanisms by which foodborne TiO2 nanoparticles may increase the susceptibility to develop obesity-related metabolic disorders.” The study authors discovered recurrent changes in the gut microbiota composition when exposed to titanium dioxide nanoparticles, with an imbalance of intestinal symbiotic microbiota. These changes and imbalances were also reported and played a role in the development of obesity, the authors wrote. This highlights “foodborne TiO2 nanoparticles as an endocrine disruptor-like chemical promoting obesity-related disorders,” the authors concluded.

However, humans are not exposed to E171 in drinking water at any significant quantity over a long duration, so this potential effect is irrelevant to the human experience. It’s important to understand that a potential hazard is not the same thing as an actual risk. 

The European region struggled with the rising inflation that caused energy prices to rise leading to higher production costs thereby, negatively impacting the prices of titanium dioxide. The transportation routes were further disrupted along with the uncertainties in the construction and automotive industries. In addition to this, the offtakes and purchasing behaviour of the end-user consumers also declined, fueling the declining price trendss for titanium dioxide.

JECFA also evaluated estimates of dietary exposure to titanium dioxide, estimating the maximum 95^th percentile of exposure to be 10 mg/kg BW per day. Overall, considering the low oral absorption of titanium dioxide as a food additive, the committee reaffirmed the ADI “not specified” that was established at the 13^th meeting.

The availability of other white pigments poses a major challenge for the Lithopone market during the forecast period. Other alternatives to Lithopone include Zinc White, Titanium Dioxide, Calcium Carbonate, Blanc Fixe, and Barytes. The use of TiO2 has reduced the commercial significance of the Lithopone in the pigments industry.

Barium sulfide is produced by carbothermic reduction of barium sulfate. Zinc sulfate is obtained from a variety of zinc products, often waste, by treatment with sulfuric acid.

Lithopone has therefore traditionally been used in stoppers and putties, jointing compounds and sealing compounds, primers and undercoats and in road-marking paints.

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Does Titanium Dioxide Cause Cancer?

Titanium is a common metal element frequently found throughout nature. In our environment, titanium is naturally exposed to oxygen, forming titanium oxides that we find in many minerals, dusts, sands, and soils.

In 2023, California and New York proposed banning several food additives that are banned in Europe but legal in the United States. Titanium dioxide was among the five proposed to be banned, but in September, the additive was removed from the list of additives from the California ban list.

Skittles has been making headlines in recent weeks and not because a new flavor has been added to the popular taste the rainbow candy.

Production

The aim of this work was to examine particularly the Degussa P25 titanium dioxide nanoparticles (P25TiO₂NPs) because they are among the most employed ones in cosmetics. In fact, all kinds of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂NPs) have gained widespread commercialization over recent decades. This white pigment (TiO₂NPs) is used in a broad range of applications, including food, personal care products (toothpaste, lotions, sunscreens, face creams), drugs, plastics, ceramics, and paints. The original source is abundant in Earth as a chemically inert amphoteric oxide, which is thermally stable, corrosion-resistant, and water-insoluble. This oxide is found in three different forms: rutile (the most stable and substantial form), brookite (rhombohedral), and anatase (tetragonal as rutile), of these, both rutile and anatase are of significant commercial importance in a wide range of applications [3]. Additionally, the nano-sized oxide exhibits interesting physical properties, one of them is the ability to act as semiconducting material under UV exposure. In fact, TiO₂NPs are the most well-known and useful photocatalytic material, because of their relatively low price and photo-stability [4]. Although, this photoactivity could also cause undesired molecular damage in biological tissues and needs to be urgently assessed, due to their worldwide use. However, not all nanosized titanium dioxide have the same behavior. In 2007, Rampaul A and Parkin I questioned: “whether the anatase/rutile crystal form of titanium dioxide with an organosilane or dimethicone coat, a common titania type identified in sunscreens, is appropriate to use in sunscreen lotions” [5]. They also suggested that with further study, other types of functionalized titanium dioxide could potentially be safer alternatives. Later, Damiani found that the anatase form of TiO₂NPs was the more photoactive one, and stated that it should be avoided for sunscreen formulations, in agreement with Barker and Branch (2008) [6,7].

In the same year (2019), the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) also delivered an opinion on possible health effects of food additive titanium dioxide, which highlighted the importance of examining immunotoxicological effects in addition to potential reprotoxicological effects.

Lithopone 30% applied in masterbatch has maximum purity, good opacity and reasonable light fastness.  

The Market Dynamics of Wholesale Titanium Dioxide