Making good on its announcement late last year to strengthen its titanium dioxide activities – see Plasteurope.com of 14.12.2011 – PPG Industries (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania / USA; www.ppg.com) in late June 2012 announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Henan Billions Chemicals (Jiaozou City, Henan / China; www.billionschem.com). Under the terms of the agreement, financial details of which were not disclosed, PPG will license certain chloride-based technologies to the Chinese group for use in its TiO₂ refinement facilities in China. The US group also signed a long-term TiO₂ supply contract with Henan Billions, which according to the Chinese company's own estimates, has an overall titanium dioxide capacity of 120,000 t/y.

PPG said it plans to use the chloride-based titanium dioxide provided by Billions for several end-use applications, but added that some of it would also be available for sale to third parties. The US group, which manufactures TiO₂ at its plant in Natrium, West Virginia / USA, posted sales of about USD 15 bn in 2011.