TOR MINERALS COMPLETES
PLANT EXPANSION,
LAUNCHES NEW PRODUCT
TOR Minerals International has
completed the expansion of its
Corpus Christi, TX titanium dioxide
plant and the introduction of its new
Ti02 product, Hitox-SF (superfine).
The plant expansion will increase
production of Hitox titanium dioxide
pigment at Corpus Christi by 10,000
tons annually and utilize a new production
process, which is expected to
reduce costs and has the potential to
increase the size of the market for
Hitox, according to the company.
“By reducing the consumption of
natural gas, we anticipate that our
new production process will save us
on the order of $1 million per year on
our current production costs alone
beginning in January 2005,” said
Richard Bowers, president and chief
executive officer of TOR Minerals.
According to Bowers, the new
Hitox-SF will have greatly improved
opacity, gloss and color characteristics
and has similar opacity characteristics
to regular white titanium
dioxide, but at a price that is both
lower to its customers and produces
attractive margins for TOR, according
to the company. New Hitox-SF
will be available for sale beginning
in the first quarter