High stability, high solid content, low viscosity titanium dioxide dispersion

Abstract

Achieving stable dispersion of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) particles is crucial for their practical applications in various fields. However, stabilizing pigment TiO₂ (200–300 nm) in aqueous systems with low viscosity (~ 10 cP) presents a significant challenge. In this work, we proposed a simple strategy using dispersant Disuper S9100 as dispersant and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as wetting agent to achieve single-dispersed TiO₂ particles with long storage stability and good re-dispersibility in low viscosity systems. The effect of PEG average molecular weight on the stability and re-dispersion performance of TiO₂ dispersion was investigated. Our study showed that PEG molecules were adsorbed on the surface of TiO₂ particles through hydrogen bonding, and synergized with nonionic polymeric dispersant Disuper S9100 to increase the steric hindrance between the particles. Due to the different adsorption conformations of PEG molecules, the dispersion stability and re-dispersibility of TiO₂ particles was gradually improved with increasing PEG average molecular weight. However, PEG molecules with excessively high molecular weight weakened the dispersion stability of TiO₂ particles. Overall, our findings suggest that the proposed strategy offers a promising approach to achieving stable TiO₂ particles in low viscosity systems.