The influence of concentration of doping elements on anatase–rutile transformation at the synthesis of rutile pigments (Ti,Cr,Nb)O2 and their pigmentary properties

An analysis of the effects of dopants concentration and different starting titanium compounds on the anatase to rutile phase transformation at the synthesis of rutile pigments Ti1−3xCrxNb2xO2±δ is presented in this study. The main goal was to analyze reaction mixtures for x = 0.05 (previous study) and 0.30 by simultaneous TG–DTA analysis and to determine the temperature of anatase–rutile transition. For x = 0.05, initial temperatures 760–830 °C are needful for a formation of rutile structure. The temperature is the lowest for the hydrated Na2Ti4O9 paste (760 °C) and similar for other starting compounds of titanium. But for x = 0.30, the anatase–rutile transition begins at higher temperatures 910–1,030 °C because of high-Nb content, which is the inhibitor of this modification change. In addition, we found the influence of calcination temperatures (850, 900, 950, 1000, 1050, 1100, and 1150 °C) on color properties and particle size distribution of these materials prepared from anatase TiO2 and with x = 0.30. Selected pigments were also analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction.