Are your titanium dioxide supplies covered for the coatings and plastics markets? Read our market insights covering what you need to know about the titanium dioxide supply chain in 2021 and beyond, and alternative solutions to help you extend and optimize your supplies. Extending your TiO2 supplies Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an essential ingredient used in paint and other coating formulations. As a workhorse ingredient, TiO2 offers long-lasting whiteness, brightness and opacity, making it one of the most commonly used additives for all types of coatings applications in the decorative art, food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and beauty and personal care industries. TiO2 also provides similar benefits to plastics manufacturers with the addition of its mechanical strength and electrical properties. Although versatile, beneficial and crucial in many use cases, titanium dioxide poses many challenges to paint and plastics manufacturers. Pigment pain points: Pricing and regulatory changes Top of mind is the high volatility of TiO2 market pricing and reduced product availability due to global supply chain disruptions and uncertainty. Today’s market is experiencing a spike in titanium dioxide costs brought on by logistical delays from China, which supplies more than 50 percent of the world’s demand for TiO2, and increased demand for architectural paint for stay-at-home DIY projects. In Europe, regulators consider titanium dioxide unsafe to use as a food additive, which will affect formulators who depend on titanium dioxide to improve color, texture and taste in food-grade applications. As markets and requirements change, there are questions to consider when assessing the future of titanium dioxide in formulations for the coatings and plastics markets. If you are a formulator or producer for these industrial applications, are you using whatever TiO2 you’re able to procure efficiently? How will you mitigate these issues when the next cycle comes around to secure your operations? And for the brands exporting final products to the EU, are you considering recent regulations around labeling requirements for TiO2 in your products? Partnering to meet your supply and formulation needs Given our breadth of global suppliers and distribution network, Univar Solutions has access to both essential and alternative chemicals and ingredients, including TiO2. We can continue to supply customers if they maintain production formulations as unchanged, within the bounds of availability and current costing. If you are seeking an alternative formulation for your products to extend, optimize or replace TiO2, our technical specialists are ready to help customize your next solution. Explore supplier solutions to extend and optimize titanium dioxide.  

Emulsion Polymerization CBS is your source for emulsion polymerization  Our extensive portfolio consists of base and specialty monomers plus surfactants from Solvay, giving you a one-stop-shop for your emulsion polymerization needs.  Applications Our complete solution gives you the reassurance that you can deliver a high-performing end product with long-lasting benefits across many applications including: Coatings Adhesives Sealants Graphic arts & inks Specialty monomers for improved performance Specialty monomers can strongly enhance such key properties as adhesion to metal, glass, concrete and wood surfaces, wet adhesion, improved durability and weather resistance, better scrub and mechanical stability. Consequently it allows formulators to switch from solvent-based to waterborne technologies. Solvay specialty monomers: Provide flexibility and adhesion in sealants Advance binding in water-borne pressure sensitive adhesives and provide excellent crosslinking to increase mechanical properties and chemical resistance in adhesive layers Improve drying times, aesthetics and adhesion in graphic arts & inks, including better ink sharpness and gloss Deliver improved film hardness, water resistance, chemical resistance, and adhesion in coatings Excellent weatherability and improved wet adhesion and dispersion for architectural coatings Better scratch resistance in clear topcoat automotive coatings Surfactants, defoamers, & emulsion polymerization Having the right surfactants and defoamers is key in order to carry out emulsion polymerization. Our assortment of Solvay Rhodacal®, Rhodasurf®, Igepal® & Abex® surfactants are available in both anionic and nonionic chemistries depending on your applications.  Benefits include: Excellent stability APE-free and low VOC Low foaming Don’t forget a defoamer when carrying out emulsion polymerization. With Solvay Rhodoline® defoamers, you can formulate to low-VOC requirements and improve processing in certain applications.

Low VOC Coating Solutions Your customers demand coatings that are both high performing and regulatory compliant. They aren’t willing to compromise, and neither are we. At CBS, we’ve worked to create regulatory compliant coating concepts that don’t sacrifice performance by leveraging our extensive portfolio of high-quality products and additives—giving you the flexibility to formulate or reformulate to your customers’ exact needs.

Construction Safer, stronger, longer-lasting solutionsAs a construction chemicals supplier, our products and solutions are designed to enhance performance and durability in a range of environments. Concrete Coatings,Sealers, and Membranes Our cutting edge coating sealer and membrane technology span water, and solvent based to polyurethanes, silicones, and 100 percent reactive applications, giving you and your costumers options across al environment. Cement, Mortar, Grut and Stucco Modifiers our polymers, additives, and fillers provide the physical, aesthetic, and processing benefits nedded to design and produce long-lasting cements, mortars, grouts, annd stuco coatings. roof coatings and Seal membrane Whether it,s water or solvent based, silicone or 100 percent reactive polyurea, we have the roof coating and membrane components you need to get the project done right Construction Adhesives Caulks, sealants, contact cements, wood glues, and structural adhesives are just a few construction-type applications our polymers, resins, and additive serve.

Furthering Innovation and Sustainable Solutions for Rubber and Plastic Additives From bustling neighborhood playgrounds to the vehicles we depend on for daily transit, rubber and plastic products routinely work in tandem to carry out many functions that directly impact us.   When it comes to rubber and plastic compounding, the list of necessary ingredients and formulation potential can grow exponentially – even limitlessly – during new product development or testing of next-gen concepts. Whether creating game-changing innovations for industry disruption or reworking traditional formulations to create more sustainable solutions for the rubber and plastic additives markets, Univar Solutions goes beyond distribution. We serve as a sole source supplier, formulator and distributor of specialty chemicals and additives for many diversified industries. Our technical teams can provide the necessary expertise and solution-driven services for your next project, bringing you the latest ingredients to support formulation advances and innovations. Rubber Additive Solutions Progressing toward improved sustainability measures for virgin or recycled rubbers, or need to meet increasing demand for lighter automotive and appliance parts without lessening performance? Univar Solutions has vital supplier relationships and technical capabilities to surpass strenuous technical barriers, with best-in-class infrastructure and scalable supply for customers of all sizes. Our product portfolio includes: Antioxidants Plasticizers Accelerators Flame retardants Processing aids Silicone additives Plastic Additive Solutions We offer supplier support and specialty technical services for plastic additives, including: Plasticizers Stabilizers Flame retardants Impact modifiers Blowing agents Nucleating agents Others (our portfolio continually expands)

What are polyurethanes used for? There are unlimited common uses for polyurethane products spanning multiple global industries. Learn how Univar Solutions and our suppliers can help you find high-quality and sustainable PU chemicals for your business. You can make anything from polyurethane material, including our shoes and vehicles, to home and office insulation. The versatility of polyurethane uses – especially PU foam – has been a game changer for industries across the globe as they have discovered new and dynamic ways to employ the chemistry in their products, including: Appliances Automotive Construction (foams, elastomers, coatings, and more) Flooring (especially wood flooring finishes) Footwear Roofing By using versatile polymer chemistry, PU formulation possibilities are almost infinite. As a polyurethane chemical supplier, our complete product line is specifically designed to meet a wide range of application needs, including: Coatings Urethanes are some of the most durable and resilient coating and adhesive systems. Casting Whether hot or cold cast, Univar Solutions offers a range of isocyanates, polyols, and additives that will help you meet your required flexibility, modulus, environmental resistance, and reaction speed. Polyurethane foam Our extensive line of polymers, foam stabilizers, and additives allows you to select the right density, flexibility, resilience, and open/closed-cell system for your application.