British Titan Products

White lead has been used as a pigment since the 4th century BC, even used in cosmetics, providing a pure white pigment with good coverage. The dangers to those who contacted lead were known but not properly understood often, but not always, leading to lead poisoning.[2]

Shortly before the First World War National Lead Company in US told its stockholders it now took special care of its workers. Only men were employed no women or children, free laundry was provided and respirators. Shower baths were provided and the workmen were encouraged to wash before eating. It became generally recognised "lead has no business in the human body". Zinc oxides began to be used for white paints. Many countries banned the use of lead paints inside buildings. By the early 1930s lithopone titanium and zinc oxides were being marketed as non-poisonous.[2]

Lead poisoning's great danger to children was not recognised until the 1940s when it was decided small quantities which might create chronic lead poisoning in mature adults would kill children.[2]

Until 1934 titanium oxide was imported to Britain from Germany.[3] Imperial Smelting Corporation in association with National Lead Company and its associate, Titan Company mining in Norway, both of the United States and The Imperial Chemical Industries Limited and Goodlass Wall and Lead Industries Limited together incorporated British Titan Products in 1933 and immediately began erection of a plant for the manufacture of titanium oxide at Billingham.[4]

British Titan Products was incorporated as a private company owned jointly by:

• Imperial Smelting Corporation
• Imperial Chemical Industries
• Goodlass Wall and Lead Industries parent of British Australian Lead Manufacturers renamed 1955 BALM Paints and later Dulux
• Greeff-Chemicals Holdings distribution

Imperial Smelting took a 17 per cent interest. The plant began operating in July 1934 and further expansion was immediately begun.[5] By the end of 1947 production was eight times the rate achieved in 1934.[6]

By 1948 the ownership was:

• 30.4 per cent The Consolidated Zinc Corporation from 1962 part of Rio Tinto–Zinc Corporation
• 30.4 per cent ICI
• 30.4 per cent Lead Industries previously Associated Lead Manufacturers
• 8.9 per cent Greeff Chemicals Holdings a distribution and selling business

In 1964 with plants in England, Canada, South Africa and Australia and sales in more than 70 different countries British Titan Products was able to advertise that it was the largest producer of titanium pigments in Europe with plants at Billingham and Grimsby and research laboratories at Stockton. Tioxide pigments were then used in all kinds of paints (in 14 different grades of Tioxide), industrial finishes, floor coverings, plastics and rubber; in addition in artificial textiles, delicate paper and cosmetics particularly soaps. They were also employed in vitreous enamels on whiteware and baths, printing inks and pale leathers and their polishes.[7]

Between 1956 and 1966 production capacity was lifted from 100,000 tons a year to 162,000 tons. There was now a British labour force of 2,660 and another 1,300 in its Tioxide International plants in Australia (making Austiox), South Africa, Canada, France (Tioxide SA) and Sierra Leone. The factories took supplies from BTP mines around the world.[8]

Plants were added in Calais and Greatham, County Durham and BTP claimed to be the second largest producer of titanium dioxide in the world.[9]

British Titan Limited became Tioxide Group Limited at the beginning of 1976.[10] when its ownership was:

• 43.6 per cent ICI
• 43.6 per cent Lead Industries later Cookson Group and Vesuvius
• 12.8 per cent Greeff Chemicals Holdings now Federated Chemical Holdings[note 1] later part of International Nickel Company and now known as Inco Europe

• 1949 at Heybridge near Burnie, Tasmania.[11] Australian Titan Products Pty Ltd
• 1948 Grimsby, Lincolnshire
• 1958 expansion at Grimsby and Billingham, Burnie and India
• 1959 expansion in India and Australia
• 1959 South Africa
• 1959 Canada
• 1963 Canada, Tracy near Sorel, Quebec
• 1964 Calais, France
• 1970 Greatham, Teesside, UK
• 1976 Huelva, Spain
• 1992 Malaysia

Initially a two-thirds investment with the other third held by Westralian Oil.[12] A miner of the mineral sand deposits which it turns into marketable ilmenite and synthetic rutile. In 1977 a cash issue of shares to Tioxide Australia gave them a 40 per cent shareholding.[13] The remaining Tioxide Group holding of 44.6 per cent was sold by ICI to Australian investors in early 1994[14] and the business is now run by Iluka Resources Limited.

In the mid 1990s ICI began a shedding process to transform itself from a commodity chemicals group to a speciality consumer group. Though they had originally planned to float it as an independent company for a yield about £700 million ICI was persuaded by trade interest to put the business up for sale.[19] In 1999 ICI sold Tioxide to Huntsman Corporation for only £500 million. Sale contracts for £600 million to DuPont (without the purchase the world's largest producer of titanium dioxide) and later to NL Industries were each blocked by the Federal Trade Commission.[20]