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Comment July 1990 PIGMENT AND RESIN TECHNOLOGY 3 Cheaper titanium dioxide from Australia? A one million dollar Australian research project at the University of Melbourne will develop a less costly and environmentally safer process for producing titanium dioxide from the mineral ilmenite. A University spokesman said a pilot plant wold be used to produce about a tonne of the product a day. He said that an advantage of the process was that it could achieve a high level of extraction from any grade of ilmenite; whereas existing methods could handle only certain grades. "W e expect our process to achieve a lower unit cost than either of the two existing commercial processes and — unlike these processes — it wil l have no adverse environmental effects." University chemical engineers are developing the process under contract to a potential commercial licencee, having patented the chemistry for the process some years ago. But the research team recently filed a new patent on the process which is estimated to be worth $A20 m a year to the University in technology licensing fees and royalties. The University has also won a lucrative contract to construct and operate the pilot pigment plant. Australia produces almost 60 per cent of the world's ilmenite, but it exports the raw material for a few hundred dollars a tonne. So the new pigment process could multiply Australia's earnings from ilmenite by providing the basis for a new multi-million dollar 'value- added' export industry. The Asian paint industry The rapid industrialisation of many of the countries of Asia, particularly those in the Far East and those of the ASEAN bloc, is likely to result in doubling the demand for paint over the next decade. This is one of the conclusions reached in the first comprehensive review of the industry recently issued by Information Research Limited, covering more than 20 countries from Turkey to Japan. The present demand for the whole of Asia is in excess of 5 m tons p.a, a level comparable with that of Western Europe. Of this some 80% is currently accounted for by the Far East, which not only includes the two largest users, Japan and China, but the rapidly developing markets of South Korea and Taiwan. Also of increasing significance are the countries of South East Asia, whose potential as consumers of paint have not yet been fully realised. The report reviews the structure of each of the national markets, including production levels, extent of international trade, consump­ tion and numbers of paint producers. The market leaders are identified in each case, together with their market shares. Of particular significance is the degree of involvement of some of the West European groups (particularly the British, Dutch and Scandinavian) in these markets, and the relative lack of activity by American firms. Long term trends in the different regions of Asia are reviewed, together with detailed predictions for each market up to the turn of the century. In addition, guidelines are provided to enable firms in the field to exploit the perceived potential to maximum effect by the development of an appropriate strategic business plan. The report, which parallels that on the European Paint Industry comprises 172 pages and includes 64 tables. It is available at £230.00 per copy, plus postage and packing, from Information Research Limited, 262 Regent Street, London W1R 5DA, UK. (Fax 071 287 9322). http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Pigment & Resin Technology Emerald Publishing

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Pigment & Resin Technology , Volume 19 (7): 1 – Jul 1, 1990
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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
0369-9420
DOI
10.1108/eb042742
Publisher site
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Abstract

July 1990 PIGMENT AND RESIN TECHNOLOGY 3 Cheaper titanium dioxide from Australia? A one million dollar Australian research project at the University of Melbourne will develop a less costly and environmentally safer process for producing titanium dioxide from the mineral ilmenite. A University spokesman said a pilot plant wold be used to produce about a tonne of the product a day. He said that an advantage of the process was that it could achieve a high level of extraction from any grade of ilmenite; whereas existing methods could handle only certain grades. "W e expect our process to achieve a lower unit cost than either of the two existing commercial processes and — unlike these processes — it wil l have no adverse environmental effects." University chemical engineers are developing the process under contract to a potential commercial licencee, having patented the chemistry for the process some years ago. But the research team recently filed a new patent on the process which is estimated to be worth $A20 m a year to the University in technology licensing fees and royalties. The University has also won a lucrative contract to construct and operate the pilot pigment plant. Australia produces almost 60 per cent of the world's ilmenite, but it exports the raw material for a few hundred dollars a tonne. So the new pigment process could multiply Australia's earnings from ilmenite by providing the basis for a new multi-million dollar 'value- added' export industry. The Asian paint industry The rapid industrialisation of many of the countries of Asia, particularly those in the Far East and those of the ASEAN bloc, is likely to result in doubling the demand for paint over the next decade. This is one of the conclusions reached in the first comprehensive review of the industry recently issued by Information Research Limited, covering more than 20 countries from Turkey to Japan. The present demand for the whole of Asia is in excess of 5 m tons p.a, a level comparable with that of Western Europe. Of this some 80% is currently accounted for by the Far East, which not only includes the two largest users, Japan and China, but the rapidly developing markets of South Korea and Taiwan. Also of increasing significance are the countries of South East Asia, whose potential as consumers of paint have not yet been fully realised. The report reviews the structure of each of the national markets, including production levels, extent of international trade, consump­ tion and numbers of paint producers. The market leaders are identified in each case, together with their market shares. Of particular significance is the degree of involvement of some of the West European groups (particularly the British, Dutch and Scandinavian) in these markets, and the relative lack of activity by American firms. Long term trends in the different regions of Asia are reviewed, together with detailed predictions for each market up to the turn of the century. In addition, guidelines are provided to enable firms in the field to exploit the perceived potential to maximum effect by the development of an appropriate strategic business plan. The report, which parallels that on the European Paint Industry comprises 172 pages and includes 64 tables. It is available at £230.00 per copy, plus postage and packing, from Information Research Limited, 262 Regent Street, London W1R 5DA, UK. (Fax 071 287 9322).

Journal

Pigment & Resin Technology – Emerald Publishing

Published: Jul 1, 1990

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