In terms of refractive index and opacity, lithopone surpasses zinc oxide and lead oxide. Lithopone's high refractive index allows it to efficiently scatter and reflect light, thereby increasing the opacity of various media. Whether you need to enhance the opacity of paints, inks or plastics, lithopones deliver outstanding results, ensuring your final product is completely opaque.
In addition to its physical properties, titanium dioxide also has environmental benefits. As a non-toxic compound, it is safe to use in homes, offices and public places. Coatings formulated with titanium dioxide contain virtually no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ensuring minimal impact on indoor air quality and human health. Additionally, due to their long-lasting nature, titanium dioxide-infused paints can help create a more sustainable environment by reducing waste and the need for frequent repainting.
. Researchers are continuously exploring ways to enhance its efficiency, potentially leading to more cost-effective renewable energy solutions.
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a chemically inert inorganic compound and an insoluble white solid that occurs naturally in several minerals, including rutile, anatase, and brookite. It is created synthetically from the mineral ilmenite. It is an insoluble white solid. Anatase, when compared to brookite and routine, has the most industrial applications, but it is the most toxic form of TiO2.
We've used titanium dioxide safely for decades. However, recently its safety was called into question.
At CRIS, we've explored the safety of titanium dioxide for nearly half a decade, including conducting double-blind research to test the safety of food-grade titanium dioxide (E171). Our study shows that when exposed to food-grade titanium dioxide in normal conditions, research animals did not experience adverse health outcomes.
It's important to emphasize that in a National Institutes of Health study, experimental animals were exposed to titanium dioxide in amounts as high as 5% of their diet for a lifetime and showed no evidence of adverse effects.
A handful of studies greatly influenced the decisions made by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Unfortunately, these studies did not consider that titanium dioxide exposure comes from food, not drinking water. Additionally, CRIS researchers could not reproduce the adverse outcomes identified by the studies through typical food ingestion. Regardless, the EFSA banned E171 as a food ingredient and for use in other capacities in the summer of 2022.
In 2022, the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada maintained that the scientific evidence supports that titanium dioxide (E171) is safe for humans to use and consume.
Still, in 2016 Skittles publicly declared it would get rid of the chemical compound in its products, according to a press release at the time from the Center for Food Safety, which called the substance harmful and potentially poisonous. But the ingredient remains, according to the lawsuit, which alleges the candy company is misleading consumers by not having eliminated titanium dioxide.