China’s LB Group Increases First-Half Titanium Dioxide Output

China’s LB Group

China’s LB Group, the largest producer of titanium dioxide in the country, has ramped up its production in the first half of 2024 by increasing its capacity utilization to capture more market share. The company, which has a combined annual capacity of 1.51 million tonnes, produced 649,600 tonnes of titanium dioxide during the period, reflecting a 9.7% increase from a year earlier.

Breakdown of Production Processes

Of the total output, 453,700 tonnes were produced using the sulfuric acid process, and 195,900 tonnes via the chlorination process. While production through the sulfuric acid process rose by 6.2%, production through the chlorination process saw a slight decline of 1.7%.

LB Group also produced 33,100 tonnes of titanium sponge, a 29% increase from last year, with sales of 30,800 tonnes, up by 60%. Titanium concentrate production surged by 73% to 1.04 million tonnes, though the company uses all of it internally for producing titanium dioxide and sponge.

During the first half of 2024, LB sold 599,600 tonnes of titanium dioxide, up by 3.7% from the same period last year. Sales of sulfuric acid-based products increased, while chlorination-based products slightly decreased.

China’s titanium dioxide exports also grew, reaching 1.13 million tonnes from January to July, a 14% increase from the same period in 2023. July exports totaled 159,688 tonnes, marking an 18% increase from the previous year, though a 9.5% decline from June’s figures.

Iron Ore Output Declines

While titanium production surged, LB Group’s iron ore concentrate output dropped. The company produced 1.55 million tonnes of iron ore concentrate, down by 16% year-on-year, with sales also falling by 39% to 1.55 million tonnes.