Travancore Titanium Products Limited (TTPL)

Travancore Titanium Products Limited (TTPL) is a large scale producer and exporter of pigment, Titanium Dioxide of anatase and rutile grades, in the south Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram. The company was formed in 1946, in collaboration with the Huntsman Tioxide (then named to be British Titan Products Limited) under leadership of the Maharaja Sree Chithra Thirunal, the King of erstwhile Travancore. British Titan Products Limited provided technical assistance for the extraction process. The prime activity of TTPL is the production of TiO2 from ilmenite, the abundant mineral deposit of south Kerala beach, mainly at Kollam, with an expanded range of products on evolution of the organisation. As of data available in 2021, TTPL finds overseas market and sells directly in China, US, Saudi and indirectly to a handful number of other countries.

Basic Information:

Organization type: Public Sector Enterprise

Headquarters: Thiruvananthapuram

Established: 18 November 1946

Product(s): Pigment grade TiO2, Sulphuric Acid, Potassium Titanate, Ti secure hand sanitizer, Ti Secure sanitary cleanser, Cement Bricks

Operation Sector(s): Chemical Manufacturing and Exporting,

Market: Domestic, B2B, Overseas

Personage(s): Maharaja Sree Chithira Thirunal Balaramavarma, Founder; Adv. A.A Rasheed, Chairman; Georgee Ninan, Managing Director.

Production

TTPL started production of Ti based pigments in 1951, with a small capacity of 5 tonnes per day. The raw material, ilmenite is an abundant placer deposit at the beach, forming a natural source. Being a mixture of Titanium dioxide and iron (ferrous/ ferric oxide), ilmenite is treated with Sulphuric Acid (sulphate processing) to form Titanyl Sulphate which is hydrolysed to get hydrated Titanium Dioxide along with Ferrous Sulphate. TiO2 on calcination at high temperature gets into a crystalline form. The nucleating agent used in crystallisation differs for both anatase and rutile grades.

Expansion

On the initial years, TTPL have a modest installed capacity of production, which later on was expanded with a vision of being the largest supplier of TiO2 in India. The initial capacity of 5 tons per day (1800 t.p.a) was doubled to 10 tons per day (3600 t.p.a) in 1957, with 5 tons of anatase and 5 tons of rutile grade pigments per day.

The management of Travancore Titanium Products Limited was taken over by Government of Kerala in 1960, holding a share of 97.55%, and a R&D wing was set up in 1961. Following the undertaking by state Government, an industrial license for the production of 50 metric tons per day (Anatase and Rutile grades side by side) has been issued to TTPL in 1961. TTPL installed own sulphuric acid plant for captive consumption. Further expansions upgraded the installed production capacity to 18 tons per day in 1963 with proportioning of the sulphuric acid production capacity, and 50 tons per day in 1967, and 67 tons per day in 1973. TTP took over the sale directly in 1970, from TTK & Co., the major sales partner since 1954 and KSIPTC was appointed to be the sole selling agency with effect from 1979.

A Government project in 1980 converted the sulphuric acid production plant to DCDA technology (tail gas recycling Double Catalysis Double Absorption technology), with less emission of sulphur dioxide within the permissible limits was commissioned in 1980 and a new acid production plant of 300 tons per day capacity was commissioned in 1996. TTPL deployed an in-house technology for rutile grade pigment production in 2001.

Travancore Titanium Products entered into an export market in 2003, with marketing undertaken directly by TTPL, and marked a record in sales and production in 2004.

Contact TTPL

Travancore Titanium Products Ltd

Post Box No.1,Kochuveli,

Thiruvananthapuram - 695021.

Ph. No : 0471-2500765

Fax No : 0471-2501127

Email: md@ttpltd.in