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Agenda

REGISTRATION
SESSION 1: OPENING PLENARY – MARKET OUTLOOK
Chair’s opening remarks
Adding a little colour (and black & white) to the discussion around pigments
  • World trade, economic growth & investment climate
  • New projects & new industry entrants
  • Recap on recent industry news & developments
  • Paint, plastic, ink & other end-user sectors
  • Feedstocks, energy & other manufacturing cost factors
  • Challenges & opportunities facing the industry
  • Technological innovations
  • Impact of legislation
  • Supply, demand & price review
  • Key factors affecting the pigments industry over the next 25 years

Reg Adams | Chief Executive, Artikol
TiO2 from the financial markets perspective
Coming out of Covid, the TiO2 industry has been rather noteworthy with the chemical equities following a rollercoaster factoring geopolitical issues, commodity pricing, volume swings, supply chain disruption, etc. The key equities have had an interesting 2024 YTD with outperformance by Tronox and Kronos, and underperformance by Chemours; Venator filed Chapter 11 in 2023.
This presentation will:
  • Review historical swings in results and equity performance for pigments, downstream coatings companies and the chemicals industry
  • Detail the changing landscape and the associated shift in producers’ approach to more rational pricing behaviour
  • Explain the interplay of feedstocks for producers and highlight the benefits of vertical integration
  • Examine company specific factors that have weighed on/propelled equity prices
  • State the current views from Wall Street and expectations for future share price performance

Frank J. Mitsch | President, Fermium Research, LLC
TiO2 in the European Green Deal
  • The European Green Deal is the EU’s ambitious plan to become a climate neutral and fully circular economy by 2040. Titanium dioxide is an important building block to meet this ambition.
  • The Titanium Dioxide Manufacturers Association (TDMA) will provide an update on the opportunities and challenges faced by the titanium dioxide industry in the Green Deal context.
TDMA will present recent regulatory developments related to TiO2 in Europe and the new trends under the Green Deal where TiO2 is a part of the solution to create more sustainable products and buildings.

Shannon Walker | Chair, Life Cycle Inventory Task Force, TDMA
Steve Hollins | Chair, Chemical Strategy for Sustainability Task Force, Tronox (representing the TDMA)
Networking break
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SESSION 2: INNOVATION
The next generation of sustainable inorganic pigments - titanium dioxides and iron oxides produced with significantly reduced environmental impact
Imagine that traditional titanium dioxide production processes, such as sulfate or chloride processes, which have dominated the market for decades, are eclipsed by a completely redesigned production process that reduces the overall impact of each produced kilogram of finished titanium dioxide by at best more than half. A complete rethink of each production step has made it possible to include a co-production for iron oxides to almost completely reduce emissions and waste throughout the process. Combined with renewable energy and wastewater treatment, the result is a new generation of pigments that could help make even standard end products more sustainable and reduce the environmental impact of their use.
Dr. Corinna Ludwig | Managing Director , Kuncai Pigments Europe GmbH
Measuring the mass and diameter of pigment particles - towards a universal size standard
The size of a pigment particle is a relevant parameter for the producers, consumers, and regulators. The broad range of particle shapes and optical properties poses a challenge for most particle sizing techniques. Ultimately, only electron microscopy imaging can detect any pigment material, but its application is limited by its high cost, low throughput and only provides a 2D-image. A newly developed measurement instrument allows us to detect number-weighted distributions of the particle mass and diameter in less than 15 minutes. The particle mass is a fundamental and intrinsic property of a particle and, therefore, doesn’t require the assumption of spherical particle shape. The measurement concept does not rely on optical particle detection and is independent of material refractive indices. This makes the particle mass ideal to become a standard reference for the size of a particle. In combination with a diameter determination, the new instrument gives insights into the effective particle packing density and other structural parameters. For example, a typical iron red pigment has a median mass of 31 fg (10^-15 g) and a diameter of 274 nm. The resulting particle density of 2.9 g/cc indicates that the material consists of aggregated particles with a significant pore volume and not densely packed spherical particles (cf. true material density of Iron(III)-oxide is 5.2 g/cc). From a number-weighted mass distribution, the total number of particles per gram ( e.g. 10^13 particles/gram) can be obtained. By simultaneously detecting the particle diameter, the nanoparticle content cannot only be expressed by a number-percentage but also by its absolute content (10^12 nanoparticles/gram versus 10% by number) We deployed this analytical technique to investigate the mechanical stability of coated titanium dioxides. With increasing dispersion intensity, an increasing amount of the coating material is sheared off from the core particle. Firstly, this reduces the pigment performance in its final application and secondly, a majority of the released particles are nanoparticles. Total amounts of more than 1013 nanoparticles per gram were recorded. Similar observations were made for other coated pigments as well. In coordination with the conference organizers, we will present data for titanium dioxide or colour pigments. Further we focus on the instrument as a potential size standard and/or on the regulatory implications of the release of nanoparticles.
Franz Friebel | Founder & CEO, FemtoG
Networking lunch
SESSION 3: SUPPLY AND DEMAND
Chair’s opening remarks
Developments in the TiO2 value chain
The TiO2 industry has been adversely impacted by high interest rates, poor housing markets, and a general slowdown in overall demand.  The recent developments on the demand side have led to several changes on the supply side, including plant closures, anti-dumping tariffs, and numerous feedstock developments.  All this is happening amid an atmosphere of high political and economic uncertainty throughout the world.  TiPMC looks at the potential impact, both short and long term, on the TiO2 Mineral Sands industry, and the likely results for customers, suppliers, and investors within the TiO2 and Mineral Sands industries.  TiPMC provides its opinion on the proper response by industry participants and the overall requirements for the industry to be successful in the future.
Gerry Colamarino | Managing Director, TiPMC Solutions LLC
Networking break
Sponsored by 
LB Group and the Chinese TiO2 market
Chair’s summary and end of day one
Evening networking reception
SESSION 4: TECHNICAL ADVANCES
Chair’s opening remarks
Wastewater from a municipal treatment plant as a substitute for river water in titanium dioxide production
The production of titanium dioxide by sulphate route is a very large consumer of water. Cinkarna pumps water for its technological needs from the small river. Large withdrawals have a negative impact on the hydro morphology and biology within it. With the goal of sustainable water management, we therefore launched a project to check the possible use of wastewater from a municipal treatment plant. Looking for a sustainable solution, we face at least three challenges. Wastewater from a municipal treatment plant is not suitable for direct use in the production of titanium dioxide. It mainly contains too many phosphates and nitrates, it can occasionally be coloured, and chlorides from road salting can also be a problem. It is necessary to additionally purify the water in several phases. Therefore, Cinkarna set up a pilot plant where we perform measurements and optimize operating parameters. A special challenge is also the placement of the nearly 7 km long pipeline that will connect the treatment plant to Cinkarna. The necessary additional cleaning and the construction of a long connecting pipeline naturally result in high costs. Managing them at a financially acceptable level represents the third challenge.
Nikolaja Podgoršek-Selič | Vice President – Technical Director, Cinkarna Celje, Inc.
Innovative solutions in a world of new and emerging regulations
Driven by the Green Deal in Europe there is a broad and concerted flurry of pending efforts aimed at tightening, and in some cases overhauling, laws and regulations governing chemical products and how they are manufactured. This presentation examines a case-in-point concerning a chemical milling agent, 1-1-1 trimethylolpropane (TMP), which in [2021] was self-classified as a Category 2 reproductive toxicant under the EU classification and labelling regulation. TMP has been used widely across the titanium dioxide (TiO2) industry safely for decades and plays a key role in many TiO2 applications. While this classification of TMP does not pose regulatory restrictions at this time, KRONOS’ approach to this kind of information is through pro-active technical innovation. In this case KRONOS immediately engaged in a process to find a suitable substitute without compromise to product quality or functionality to existing applications. We are now able to bring those solutions to our customers ahead of any further regulatory action on TMP. The status of other regulatory aspects such as the classification of TiO2 itself and new and emerging regulatory actions related to ESG are also briefly addressed.

Shannon Walker | Director Global Environmental, Social & Governance, KRONOS Worldwide, Inc.
Dr. Janine Siekman | Director Product & Application Technology , KRONOS Worldwide, Inc.
Advances in TiO2/PCC composites, enabling a more efficient, sustainable and cost-effective use of TiO2 pigments
FP-Pigments have continued to develop our composite pigment technology, bringing together the concepts of TiO2 spacing and TiO2/Air refractive index differences to improve scatter per unit volume TiO2. This paper will describe how the “Next Generation” of composite pigments benefit from the introduction of significant levels of entrapped air, in effect creating “hollow” pcc with less TiO2 utilised but producing almost the same scatter per unit TiO2 as our standard composites. We will show how this new development can be used in Coating, Plastics and Powder Coatings, including the potential for significant colourant reductions in addition to the partial TiO2 replacement.
Paul Dietz | Group Technical Director, FP-Pigments Oy
Networking break
SESSION 5: ESG CONCERNS
TiO2: an essential material for the energy transition and the climate change mitigation
TiO2 is widely used in a large portfolio of applications and its ultrafine form is a much-studied material around the world. Climate change mitigation has come to critical juncture that requires the rapid developmentof sustainable and affordable solutions for the energy transition. TiO2 and its derivative products help address some of the world’s most pressing sustainability issues. The lecture will highlight the multiple applications already in use or in development which use TiO2 and titanium-based materials for a cost effective and efficient energy transition. The unique physico-chemical properties of TiO2 make it an attractive solution for growing and emerging energy transition applications, such as energy storage, solar cells, production of sustainable fuels, lithium extraction, and carbon capture. The focus will also be on the ability of Tronox as an innovative and vertically integrated enterprise to offer a range of tailored specialty products with a remarkably low carbon footprint. In this lecture, we will showcase the combined opportunity to deliver a high performing TiO2 material with a sustainable and ultimately neutral carbon footprint for solutions to mitigate climate change.
Dr Abdelkader Hadjar | Manager R&D and technical service, specialty products , Tronox
Navigating the shifting sustainability landscape
This presentation focuses on the rapidly evolving sustainability disclosure and due diligence legislative landscape in Europe. The presentation will focus specifically on the requirements of legislation such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and how companies can prepare to ensure an efficient route to compliance.
Adam Whitfield | Head of Compliance & ESG, Achilles
Q&A: What has changed in ESG?
Representatives from investors, producers, suppliers and customers cover topics across Environment, Society and Government such as carbon footprint, solid waste management, water management, D&I and community relations.
Jean-François Pasquier, Vice President – Specialty Products, Tronox
Adam Whitfield | Head of Compliance & ESG, Achilles
Networking lunch
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SESSION 6: CLOSING PLENARY - WHAT'S NEXT?
Chair’s opening remarks
What are end users looking for from the industry?
Boeing takes this opportunity to talk about what they are working on in the coming years and what they need from the supply chain to achieve their goals.
Dr. Kjersta Larson-Smith | Technical Fellow, Boeing Research & Technology
PANEL: What comes next?
Members of the Pigment and Colour Science Forum and TiO2 World Summit advisory boards reflect on the key learnings from their conferences and look to the future of the pigments and TiO2 industries.
Chair’s closing remarks and close of conference
Agenda-TiO2-World-Summit-24-9-24