New Breakthrough Achieved in Pangang's Titanium Dioxide Technology

On May 26, an evaluation meeting for the project achievements of "Research and Application of Multi-stage Regulation Mechanism for Titanium Dioxide Feedstock Particle Size Based on Multimodal Synergy" was held, hosted by the Metallurgical Society of Sichuan Province. After rigorous evaluation, the evaluation committee concluded that the project's overall technology had reached an internationally advanced level, with the online hydrolysis seed crystal regulation technology achieving an internationally leading level. This achievement not only marks a significant technological leap for Pangang Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Pangang") in the field of titanium dioxide manufacturing but also provides a demonstration model for the intelligent upgrading of China's traditional manufacturing industry.

In response to the current situation in China, where the production of titanium dioxide via the sulphuric acid process accounts for over 80% of the total, with severe product homogeneity, overcapacity, and weak competitiveness, Pangang actively responded to the national call and formed a joint research team involving Pangang Research Institute, Pangang Vanadium & Titanium Co., Ltd., Chongqing University, Northeastern University, and others. Led by Dr. Ruifang Lu, a distinguished researcher at the Vanadium and Titanium Chemical Engineering Technology Research Institute of Pangang Research Institute, the team systematically analyzed multi-stage regulation mechanisms such as hydrolysis seed crystal quality, hydrolysis process parameters, and salt treatment formulations, and conducted a series of forward-looking technical studies.

Through unremitting efforts, Pangang's research team successfully developed the world's first online determination instrument for hydrolysis seed crystal quality, established the first soft measurement model for metatitanic acid particle size based on machine learning in the industry, pioneered the construction of a predictive model for TiO2 particle growth and crystal transformation under different operating parameters during the calcination process, and formulated a full-process control and preparation technology scheme for the particle size of "seed crystal—metatitanic acid—rutile TiO2". This series of innovative achievements not only broke the traditional model of relying on "empirical operation" in multiple key links of titanium dioxide feedstock particle size regulation but also ended the history of manual determination of hydrolysis seed crystals for titanium dioxide produced via the sulphuric acid process.

Currently, this achievement has been successfully applied in five production lines of titanium dioxide via the sulphuric acid process at Pangang, with relevant application indicators meeting or exceeding the product performance indicators in the same application fields domestically and overseas. Among them, the qualification rate of key indicators at Chongqing Titanium Industry Co., Ltd. has increased to over 97%, and the key quality indicators at Panzhihua Dongfang Titanium Industry Co., Ltd. have increased to over 95%.

This innovative achievement has been granted one overseas invention patent, 14 domestic invention patents, and one software copyright. In the future, Pangang will continue to intensify the application and promotion of this technology, contributing more scientific and technological strength to promoting the high-quality development of China's traditional manufacturing industry.