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is it tin oxide or titanium dioxide?

updated mon 27 jun 05

 

Leesh on sat 25 jun 05


I recently ordered 5 lbs of titanium dioxide from a local supplier. However=
,=20
I just noticed that the bag is marked as tin oxide, while the receipt and=
=20
price indicate titanium dioxide. I'm wondering if they gave me the wrong=20
stuff or mismarked the bag. Looking at it through the clear plastic bag, it=
=20
looks identical to a 1# bag of tin oxide I had on hand. I've never used=20
titanium dioxide before, so I don't know what to expect visually. Is there =
a=20
clear visual difference between the two?

Of course, the next dilemma is ... if it's tin oxide, do I let them know=20
about their error? ;-) Tin oxide is much more expensive than titanium=20
dioxide.
Leesh

Steve Irvine on sat 25 jun 05


Leesh,

There are some differences between the two that you should be able to sort out. Titanium diox. is
very white. It is often used industrially to whiten paints. Tin ox. is greyish by comparison. You
probably have some whiting (another very white material) in your studio. If the mystery material is
as white or whiter than whiting it is probably titanium diox. If the material looks grey compared to
whiting it is probably tin ox.

The colour responses in fired glazes is another way to sort it out, if you don't mind doing a few
tests. A small addition of titanium to a copper red glaze will make it turn a plummy, bluish-red.
Tin doesn't have this effect. A five to eight percent addition of titanium to a cobalt blue will make
it go green, again tin doesn't do this.

Hope this helps. The ethical dilemma I'll leave up to you! ;-)

Steve Irvine
http://www.steveirvine.com

>I recently ordered 5 lbs of titanium dioxide from a local supplier. However,
>I just noticed that the bag is marked as tin oxide, while the receipt and
>price indicate titanium dioxide. I'm wondering if they gave me the wrong
>stuff or mismarked the bag. Looking at it through the clear plastic bag, it
>looks identical to a 1# bag of tin oxide I had on hand. I've never used
>titanium dioxide before, so I don't know what to expect visually. Is there a
>clear visual difference between the two?
>
>Of course, the next dilemma is ... if it's tin oxide, do I let them know
>about their error? ;-) Tin oxide is much more expensive than titanium
>dioxide.
>Leesh

David Hewitt on sun 26 jun 05


Leessh,

You have a problem with no easy answer that I know of. Both are white,
but looking at my stock of tin oxide and titanium oxide, I would say
that titanium oxide is a whiter white than tin oxide. Also my tin oxide
is a little bit more grainier than my titanium oxide.

One point of possible difference is the Specific Gravity. In Hamers'
dictionary the SG of Tin oxide is given as6.8 and Titanium oxide as 4.2.
If you care to refer to my web site and look under 'Unlabelled Bags &
Buckets' you see reference to this. You will also see the problems that
we encountered in making such measurements.

Hope that this will be of some help.

David
In message , Leesh writes
>I recently ordered 5 lbs of titanium dioxide from a local supplier. However,
>I just noticed that the bag is marked as tin oxide, while the receipt and
>price indicate titanium dioxide. I'm wondering if they gave me the wrong
>stuff or mismarked the bag. Looking at it through the clear plastic bag, it
>looks identical to a 1# bag of tin oxide I had on hand. I've never used
>titanium dioxide before, so I don't know what to expect visually. Is there a
>clear visual difference between the two?
>
>Of course, the next dilemma is ... if it's tin oxide, do I let them know
>about their error? ;-) Tin oxide is much more expensive than titanium
>dioxide.
>Leesh

--
David Hewitt

Web:- http://www.dhpot.demon.co.uk