What are the key differences between sulfate and chloride process TiO2 in today's market?

What are the key differences between sulfate and chloride process TiO2 in today's market?
Sulfate process still dominates globally at about 83.5% of Chinese capacity, but its economics have deteriorated sharply. Each ton generates 5 cubic meters of waste acid and 4 tons of ferrous sulfate byproduct—an environmental burden that once looked like an opportunity when lithium iron phosphate battery demand boomed. That window closed as LFP prices crashed from 180,000 yuan/ton in 2022 to around 30,000 yuan/ton by 2025, forcing producers like Longbai, Jinpu, and CNNC Titanium to shelve expansion plans. Chloride process, by contrast, offers higher brightness, narrower particle size, and superior dispersion—critical for automotive coatings and precision plastic films. It also cuts waste acid volumes significantly, though energy costs are higher. Longbai now runs 66 million tons of chloride capacity, 44% of its total, achieving 92% utilization with order backlogs.