DuPont Opens New Facility to Serve Growing Titanium Metals Industry

DuPont today announced that a new titanium tetrachloride purification unit has begun operations at the New Johnsonville, Tenn., titanium dioxide site. Most of the production of the high purity chemical will be used in the growing titanium metal manufacturing industry. Titanium metal increasingly is being used in everything from airplanes to sporting goods and chemical processing equipment.


Titanium tetrachloride is an intermediate chemical produced during the early steps of the chloride process for manufacturing titanium dioxide. In addition to its use in titanium metal manufacturing, it is essential to the production of certain plastics. It also has specialized applications in pearlescent pigments used in products ranging from cars and cosmetics to bicycle helmets. Plans for the $30 million facility were announced in October 2006.


“The start-up of this unit is a significant milestone for DuPont to help satisfy the growing global demand for high-purity titanium tetrachloride in innovative applications,” said Richard C. Olson, vice president and general manager -- DuPont Titanium Technologies.


DuPont is the world’s largest manufacturer of titanium dioxide, a white pigment widely used in the coatings, plastics and paper industries. DuPont Titanium Technologies serves customers globally in the coatings, paper and plastics industries.


The company operates plants in the United States, Mexico and Taiwan, all of which use the chloride manufacturing process. The company also operates a plant in Brazil for finishing titanium dioxide and a mine in Florida. Technical service centers are located in Brazil, Mexico, Belgium, Taiwan, Korea, Delaware and China to serve the European, Middle Eastern, United States, Asian and Latin American markets.