Effects of Properties and Structure of Metatitanic Acid on Rutile White Pigment via Short Sulfate Process

The properties and structure of metatitanic acid, such as crystal structure, particle size distribution and impurity iron's content, have great effects on the structure and pigment properties of rutile titanium dioxide, and there exists inherent relationship between them. The rutile TiO₂ white pigment was produced via short sulfate process by using unenriched low concentration industrial titanyl sulfate solution as titanium source. In order to produce rutile TiO₂ with good structure and excellent pigment properties, the optimal conditions are as following. Controlling the grain size of metatitanic acid less than 8.9 nm and about 7.9 nm can effectively promote the crystal transformation and grain growth of the rutile pigment, and obtain rutile pigment with good and integrated crystal structure. The appropriate particle size distribution of metatitanic acid has an obvious effect on rutile titanium dioxide with narrow particle size distribution, and rutile pigment of near 0.20 μm in the particle size can obtain higher relative scattering force. The hydrolysis conditions should be controlled to reduce the specific surface area of metatitanic acid, aiming at reduction of the iron impurity adsorption.