Overview

Join us for a presentation and overview of Tronox Stallingborough site, and tour of the Chloride TiO2 pigment manufacturing facility.

Tronox mines and processes titanium ore, zircon, rare earths and other materials and manufactures titanium dioxide pigment, specialty-grade titanium dioxide products and high-purity titanium chemicals.

Our products add brightness and durability to paints, coatings, inks, plastics, paper and a vast array of everyday items.

The Stallingborough Plant, formerly owned by Cristal, is one of nine manufacturing plants producing titanium dioxide (TiO2) for Tronox, the world’s second-largest producer of TiO2. TiO2 is a bright white powder made from titanium ore that has the ability to pigment virtually any material. It makes possible the opacity, brightness, and durability in paint formulas that have made modern paints more cost-efficient, easier to use, and friendlier to the environment. TiO2 also gives plastics and rubber opacity and whiteness. It is used in such diverse products as printing inks, paper, ceramics, glass, leather, synthetic fibres, and colours formulated for art paints.

The Stallingborough plant utilises the chloride process to convert Titanium ores into finished TiO2 pigment. In the chloride process, high‑titanium feedstocks such as rutile, synthetic rutile, or slag are reacted with chlorine gas and carbon in a high‑temperature fluidized‑bed chlorinator operating around 900–1000 °C. This step converts the ore to titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄) while forming metal chlorides as by‑products.

The crude TiCl₄ is then condensed and purified through condensation and distillation units, removing less‑volatile and co‑distilled impurities. and subsequently fed to a high‑temperature oxidation reactor where it reacts with oxygen to form TiO₂ particles while chlorine is regenerated for recycling back to the chlorination stage.

Downstream of oxidation, the TiO₂ product is separated in a collection unit, then routed to surface‑treatment and finishing operations such as slurry treatment, filtration, drying, and milling to achieve pigment‑grade characteristics.

Visitors attending the site tour must bring with them the following Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):

• general wear overalls (one-piece or two-piece) covering arms, legs and torso (EN 20471) reflective / high visibility required for some areas of plant
• safety footwear (EN20345) steel toe caps and mid soles.

Other PPE that will be required for site tour (visitors welcome to bring their own):

• safety helmet (EN397) no vents
• safety glasses (EN166)
• safety goggles (EN166) no vents
• safety gloves (En 388 or EN374)
• hearing protection - muffs or plugs (EN 352).

The material presented at this event has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenters' own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Hull and Humber Member Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.

Time

18.00–20.30 BST.

Some of the information you provide may be given to the site for registration purposes.