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XTI ACTIVE-SHIELD^TM

Nano-Coating technology

TiO2 Overview
• General Information
• Benefits and Applications

XTI Technology
• Introduction
• XTI Technology Power Points

XTI Technical Data
• Data Comparison Table
• X-TiO^TM vs. Others
• X-TiO2^TM Bonding Technology
• Adhesive Comparison
• Durability Comparison
• Photocatalytic Comparison

Safety Guide
• Safety Index

XTI TECHNOLOGY REPORT

(Data Compiled: November 25, 2009)

TiO2 Overview

Based on the much proven Titanium-dioxide (TiO2) where XTI has developed world-exclusive methods to maximize all known benefits and corrected weaknesses of such widely used and time-proven technology, elevating TiO2 to a new level that can deliver near 100% efficiency in real-world applications and to be applicable onto many different types of surfaces previously not possible. To learn about XTI Nano Particle Technology, one can start by understanding TiO2 (photocatalyst), for which there are vast published information and resources available online, enclosed a summary:

TiO2 General Information

(Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tio2) Titanium dioxide (TiO2), also known as titanium(IV) oxide or titania, is the naturally occurring oxide of titanium, chemical formula TiO2. When used as a pigment, it is called titanium white, Pigment White 6, or CI 77891. It is noteworthy for its wide range of applications, from paint to sunscreen to food colouring, for which it was given E number E171.

Occurrence

Titanium dioxide occurs in nature as well-known minerals rutile, anatase and brookite, and additionally as two high pressure forms, a monoclinic baddeleyite-like form and an orthorhombic a-PbO2-like form, both found recently at the Ries crater in Bavaria. The most common form is rutile, which is also the most stable form. Anatase and brookite both convert to rutile upon heating. Rutile, anatase and brookite all contain six coordinated titanium.

The naturally occurring oxides can be mined and serve as a source for commercial titanium. The metal can also be mined from other minerals such as ilmenite or leucoxene ores, or one of the purest forms, rutile beach sand. Star sapphires and rubies get their asterism from rutile impurities present in them.

Titanium dioxide is found as a mineral in weathering rims on tektites and perovskite and as lamellae in anatase from hydrothermal veins and has a relatively low density.

Spectral lines from titanium oxide are prominent in class M stars, which are cool enough to allow molecules of this chemical to form.

Production

Crude titanium dioxide is purified via converting to titanium tetrachloride in the chloride process. In this process, the crude ore (containing at least 70% TiO2) is reduced with carbon, oxidized with chlorine to give titanium tetrachloride; i.e., carbothermal clorination. This titanium tetrachloride is distilled, and re-oxidized in a pure oxygen flame or plasma at 1500-2000 K to give pure titanium dioxide while also regenerating chlorine. Aluminium chloride is often added to the process as a rutile promotor; the product is mostly anatase in its absence.

Another widely used process utilizes ilmenite as the titanium dioxide source, which is digested in sulfuric acid. The by-product iron(II) sulfate is crystallized and filtered-off to yield only the titanium salt in the digestion solution, which is processed further to give pure titanium dioxide. Another method for upgrading ilmenite is called the Becher Process. One method for the production of titanium dioxide with relevance to nanotechnology is solvothermal Synthesis of titanium dioxide.

Applications

Titanium dioxide is the most widely used white pigment because of its brightness and very high refractive index (n = 2.7), in which it is surpassed only by a few other materials. Approximately 4 million tons of pigmentary TiO2 are consumed annually worldwide. When deposited as a thin film, its refractive index and colour make it an excellent reflective optical coating for dielectric mirrors and some gemstones like "mystic fire topaz". TiO2 is also an effective opacifier in powder form, where it is employed as a pigment to provide whiteness and opacity to products such as paints, coatings, plastics, papers, inks, foods, medicines (i.e. pills and tablets) as well as most toothpastes. Opacity is improved by optimal sizing of the titanium dioxide particles.

Used as a white food colouring, it has E number E171. Titanium dioxide is often used to whiten skimmed milk; this has been shown statistically to increase skimmed milk's palatability.

In cosmetic and skin care products, titanium dioxide is used both as a pigment and a thickener. It is also used as a tattoo pigment and in styptic pencils.

This pigment is used extensively in plastics and other applications for its UV resistant properties where it acts as a UV absorber, efficiently transforming destructive UV light energy into heat.

In ceramic glazes titanium dioxide acts as an opacifier and seeds crystal formation.

Titanium dioxide dust, when inhaled, has recently been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as an IARC Group 2B carcinogen possibly carcinogenic to humans. Titanium dioxide accounts for 70% of the total production volume of pigments worldwide. It is widely used to provide whiteness and opacity to products such as paints, plastics, papers, inks, foods, and toothpastes. It is also used in cosmetic and skin care products, and it is present in almost every sun-block, where it helps protect the skin from ultraviolet light.

The findings of the IARC are based on the discovery that high concentrations of pigment-grade (powdered) and ultrafine titanium dioxide dust caused respiratory tract cancer in rats exposed by inhalation and intratracheal instillation. The series of biological events or steps that produce the rat lung cancers (e.g. particle deposition, impaired lung clearance, cell injury, fibrosis, mutations and ultimately cancer) have also been seen in people working in dusty environments. Therefore, the observations of cancer in animals were considered, by IARC, as relevant to people doing jobs with exposures to titanium dioxide dust. For example, titanium dioxide production workers may be exposed to high dust concentrations during packing, milling, site cleaning and maintenance, if there are insufficient dust control measures in place. However, it should be noted that the human studies conducted so far do not suggest an association between occupational exposure to titanium dioxide and an increased risk for cancer. The safety of the use of these nanoparticles, which can penetrate the body and reach internal organs, has been criticized. Studies have also found that titanium dioxide nanoparticles cause genetic damage in mice, suggesting that humans may be at risk of cancer or genetic disorders resulting from exposure.