Metallurgy / Chemicals / Rubber & Plastics

According to Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation Report, on December 5, it was learned from the Titanium Dioxide Industry Branch of China Paint Industry Association that with the efforts of European paint manufacturers, titanium dioxide was successfully removed from the carcinogen classification.

Recently, the Permanent Court of the European Union announced the abolition of the classification and labeling of titanium dioxide as a carcinogen in the form of inhalation of certain powders in the European Union. The Court found that the European Commission had made a clear error in assessing the reliability and acceptability of the research on which the classification was based, and had wrongly applied the European classification standards to substances that did not have the intrinsic characteristics of carcinogenesis. However, this work has not ended. The EU Permanent Court abolished the ban, which means that the EU has loosened the restrictions on the application of titanium dioxide in paint, food and other industries at this stage, but it is still possible to issue detailed guidelines in the field of titanium dioxide inhalation in the future.

According to Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation, in June 2016, France published an article on potential safety hazards of titanium dioxide; In September of the same year, the European Food Safety Agency pointed out that E (171) titanium dioxide would not cause significant safety risks when used as a food additive. Most Member States supported the position of the European Food Safety Agency and requested more data to be published; In 2019, the European Commission listed titanium dioxide as a carcinogen, based on the fact that titanium dioxide with particle size less than 1 micron may be inhaled into the body and cause cancer. Although the use of titanium dioxide is not prohibited, the use of titanium dioxide needs to add a warning in its label. This provision has caused disputes among coating enterprises, especially powder coating enterprises and the Titanium Dioxide Manufacturers Association (TDMA), and filed a complaint to the European Court.

From 2019 to 2021, the European Commission has revised (EC) No 1223/2009 several times, gradually tightening the restrictions on the concentration and conditions of titanium dioxide; In February 2022, the European Parliament and the Council revised Annex II and III of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on Food Additive Titanium Dioxide (E171) concerning Food Additive Titanium Dioxide. After a six-month transition period, titanium dioxide as a food additive was banned in the EU. During this period, the British Toxicology Committee made comments on E (171); The Food Chemistry Reevaluation Act 2021 of the United States requires reevaluating the safety of ten additives (including titanium dioxide), including titanium dioxide. Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation Report.

It is understood that China Paint Industry Association attaches great importance to the above issues, and guides the Titanium Dioxide Branch of China Paint Industry Association to establish a project team, focusing on the investigation of key titanium dioxide enterprises and toxicology research institutions at home and abroad, sorting out the domestic systematic report on the product type, production process, toxicological data, etc. of titanium dioxide and titanium dioxide, and sending a letter to IPPIC (World Paint Council, now renamed WCC), It has been discussed in many international conferences. A special research meeting was held jointly with the Chemical Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment to discuss the European Commission (EC) No 1223/2009. Based on the data and information of all parties, policy recommendations were put forward: titanium dioxide is a stable chemical substance, and there is no reliable evidence to prove its carcinogenicity for the time being. As for the French conclusion that feeding mice can cause lung cancer, it is mainly due to the inhalation of large doses of titanium dioxide in the form of dust, It is essentially different from the carcinogenicity of the substance itself. Therefore, China has not made a ban on titanium dioxide.

In addition, the China Paint Industry Association, through the World Paint Council and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and other channels to respond to materials and suggestions, has further affected the identification of the EU on this issue.

In fact, titanium dioxide itself will not cause cancer. Only in certain specific environments, when titanium dioxide is absorbed in a specific aggregation form, shape, particle size and quantity, will there be a risk of cancer. Therefore, the European Court of Justice held that the previous claim that titanium dioxide was carcinogenic did not have much basis.

The removal of titanium dioxide from carcinogens is the most direct result for the coating industry, which is to better implement the common concept of green and sustainable development, so that the coating industry has achieved the goal of safety. In addition, for powder coating enterprises, product packaging is no longer subject to the loss and impact caused by the words "suspected cancer".

Zhou Lei, Secretary General of the Titanium Dioxide Sub center of the National Chemical Industry Productivity Promotion Center, said that the European Union announced the abolition of titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a carcinogen, which once again confirmed that titanium dioxide is a white inorganic pigment with the best performance in the world today, and has non-toxic, the best opacity, the best whiteness and brightness. It is an inert inorganic compound used as a white pigment in many industrial fields.

Zhou Lei said that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) declared the corresponding regulations of the European Commission invalid. The subsequent export of titanium dioxide to China should be a positive trend.

Zhou Lei pointed out that, although the EU has lifted the ban on titanium dioxide in the coating and food industries, our enterprises still need to do a good job in three aspects in the future. First, in the production process of titanium dioxide, attention should be paid to the personal protection of front-line operators, and standard protection specifications should be formulated to avoid excessive inhalation and injury; Second, we should improve the level of production automation of enterprises, especially in the packaging sector, try to use auxiliary machinery, and try to avoid manual operation; Third, titanium dioxide enterprises should make their own product application direction and formulate relevant standards to meet their own development requirements. Through these related works, the production and management capabilities of domestic titanium dioxide enterprises are constantly improved. At the same time, the product quality is improved through the evaluation of product application, which closes the gap with foreign titanium dioxide enterprises and continuously increases the export share.

Gong Jiazhu, an expert of the expert group of the Titanium Dioxide Industry Branch of China Paint Industry Association, pointed out that this European titanium dioxide carcinogenic label is to raise the threshold for exporting titanium dioxide to Europe. With the rising energy costs in Europe, producers in various regions have also experienced an asymmetric slowdown, and the output in the fourth quarter is predicted to decrease accordingly. Two European factories of Connors have implemented production reduction; Tenot plans to cut the capacity of its five European plants, which account for more than half of its titanium dioxide capacity. After the abolition of the cancer label, China's titanium dioxide exports will add new momentum, Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation reported.

Gong Jiazhu analyzed that China's current titanium dioxide export is 1.3 million tons, which, in addition to market growth, almost steals the market of titanium dioxide manufacturers in Europe, the United States, Japan and other developed countries. However, it is worth noting that most of China's titanium raw material markets are outside. Once friction occurs, imports are blocked, and titanium ore soars, the cost advantage will disappear, which is related to the smoothness of our double cycle external cycle. I hope it will not occur.

Yang Xun, an analyst in the titanium industry of Yan Ti, believes that the removal of the carcinogen label of titanium dioxide is beneficial to the export of China's titanium dioxide to EU countries. Without this restriction, there will be less restrictions on the communication and negotiation process of EU countries, which is very beneficial for China's titanium dioxide to arrive in EU countries. I believe that China's titanium dioxide can seize many market shares by virtue of its previous cost performance advantages; On the other hand, it is conducive for EU countries to use China's cost-effective titanium dioxide. For a long time, many EU countries have used Chinese titanium dioxide. Now it has been clarified that there is no "cancer" in Chinese titanium dioxide. The actual users in EU countries are more beneficiaries, and they can also use China's cost-effective titanium dioxide. Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation Report.

Yang Xun reminded that after this incident, titanium dioxide manufacturers should strengthen the control of product quality. At the same time, good quality will also greatly promote the quality improvement of titanium dioxide in China.