Making white paint and other opaque coatings currently pumps 40 million tonnes of CO₂ into the atmosphere each year, but a new class of hollow polymer particles could replace the titanium dioxide pigment responsible for that pollution. The problem is titanium dioxide (TiO₂), the world’s dominant opacifier. Producing the 8 million tonnes expected to be needed in 2025 requires enormous energy, generating a carbon footprint five times the weight of the pigment itself. Paints and coatings alone account for 55 percent of global TiO₂ consumption. The researchers will engineer hollow polymer particles with precisely controlled size, shell thickness, and surface chemistry, then test them in full paint formulations with an industrial partner. If successful, these particles could fully replace TiO₂ in paints, inks, adhesives, sealants, cosmetics, and personal care products. The project also includes a life-cycle assessment to accelerate industrial adoption. The result would be a transformative shift toward sustainable manufacturing across multiple sectors—cutting emissions from a material most people never think about, yet one that makes nearly every coloured surface they see possible.
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The demand for titanium dioxide (TiO2), a critical opacifier and pigment across multiple industrial sectors, is expected to reach 8 million tonnes in 2025. Because of the energy-intensive manufacturing processes involved, such production will lead to the emission of a staggering 40 million tonnes of CO2. In this project, we aim to develop hollow polymer particles that have a lower carbon footprint and can fully replace titanium dioxide in a wide range of formulated products, taking paints and coatings as a case study. We will synthesize a range of hollow polymer particles with tailored size, polydispersity, shell thickness, outer surface roughness, and inner surface chemistry. Tuning these variables will enable us to take a two-pronged approach, not only optimising the properties of the hollow particles themselves but also their interaction with other formulation ingredients. Through this approach, after introducing the particles in coatings formulations and drying them into films, we will be able to control their final distribution and correlate it with the coating's optical, thermal, and mechanical properties. Moreover, we will accelerate their industrial implementation by conducting a life cycle assessment and trialling them in full paint formulations in collaboration with our industrial partner. Although we have chosen paints and coatings as case study, as they represent 55% of the global TiO2 consumption, the new additives would be relevant to a wide range of film-forming formulations. These include inks, adhesives, sealants, personal and home care, and cosmetics. Thus, our work will catalyse a transformative shift towards more sustainable practices across diverse industry sectors by providing a viable alternative to TiO2.
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