Transparency Market Research revealed that the global titanium dioxide market's growth will be fuelled by the growing demand for lightweight vehicles.

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The lightweight vehicles market has augmented the demand for polycarbonate, a thermoplastic lightweight substitute for heavier metals and glass-based automotive parts.

According to Dallas-based market research firm MarketsandMarkets, the lightweight vehicles industry will be valued at $206.8 billion in 2019, a growth led by the automotive lightweight materials segment and buoyed by increasing interest for lighter transportation technology.

North America, Asia, and Europe account for a large share of this market. The interest for lightweight technology has substantially increased in the past years as it is also contributed to safety enhancement and higher fuel efficiency in the automotive industry. Lightweight materials are also malleable and easier to mould and reshape, giving automobile designers wider avenues for aesthetic innovations.  

However, as polycarbonate and lightweight materials need to be coated to increase durability, permanence, and scratch resistance, the lightweight vehicle manufacturers still have to partner with titanium dioxide producers. Titanium dioxide is one of the most essential components of paint and other coating products.

The titanium dioxide supply segment is predicted to experience a substantial increase in production volume as several emerging rutile and ilmenite producers are expected to join the global commerce by 2017. Among which is White Mountain Titanium Corporation (OTCQB:WMTM), a rutile exploration company that is capable of producing up to 112 million tonnes of rutile. 

The company owns the Cerro Blanco Property, a 17,041-hectares rutile deposit in Santiago, Chile. The property is considered as one of the largest titanium dioxide facilities in the world today.

The stability of various markets that depend on it encourages economists to predict a brighter and steadier future for the global titanium dioxide market. It is now expected to reach $17.12 billion in the next six years, expanding at a CAGR of 3.8 percent from 2014 to 2020.

On the basis of application, titanium dioxide consists of four major segments. These include paints and coatings, plastic, paper, and others.

Paints and coatings, the largest application segment for titanium dioxide in 2013, accounts for over 50 percent of the market share in the same year. It will be the fastest growing application segment due to the growth of packaging sector, automotive industries, and other application segments such as artificial fibers and inks.

The Asia-Pacific region accounts for over 40 percent of the global titanium dioxide market in 2013, and will continue to be the global leader until 2020. The emerging economies in the region, which includes China, India, as well as tiger cub economies such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, will help increase the demand coming from the region. 

Tagsglobal titanium dioxide maret, lightweight cars, lightweight vehicles, materials for lightweight market