(159d) Effect of inorganic surface treatment on the dispersability of TiO2 pigment

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most widely used white pigment. The pigment dispersability is highly dependent on the surface treatment of the particles. This paper is reporting flocculation studies of TiO2 particles manufactured by Cristal - Saudi Arabia. TiO2 particles were prepared in form of slurries, and their surface was treated with zirconia and alumina. At initial and final stages of the surface treatment, flocculation showed to be strongly related to the pH. However, in other treatment stages, the flocculation was found to be independent of pH. All stages involved in the surface treatment process were found to be enhancing the dispersability of TiO2 particles in the slurry. The iso-electric point of TiO2 was not correlated with flocculation and this can be due to presence of various charged species in the TiO2 slurry.