Titanium dioxide occurs naturally in titanium ores such as titanite and rutile. Its molecular structure gives it high brightness and hiding power, but it must first be chemically extracted and purified. More than 60 years ago, DuPont invented the chloride process for producing titanium dioxide, which has become the world’s preferred technology because it can reduce environmental emissions and energy consumption while producing high-quality pigment products compared to the old sulfuric acid process. Titanium dioxide (or TiO2) is the most widely used white pigment in the industry. It is used in architectural, industrial and automotive coatings; plastics for furniture, electrical appliances, plastic belts and plastic boxes; high-end magazines, brochures and paper for film attachment, as well as specialty products such as inks, rubber, leather and elastomers.