Titanium Dioxide: Advancements and Thermal Applications

Abstract

Distinctive characteristics of titanium dioxide such as high refractive index, overwhelmingly high melting and boiling point, high toughness, and hardness, photocatalytic nature, ability to absorb or reflect UV-rays, DeNox catalyst, nontoxicity, inert behavior, etc., have brought about the massive use of TiO2 in a variety of conventional as well as advanced engineering applications. Broad commercial utilization of titanium dioxide in products including paints, anti-air pollutants, cosmetics, skincare and sunblock, pharmaceuticals, surface protection, building energy-saving, etc., accounts for its multibillion dollars market worldwide. Titanium dioxide carries unique thermal and optical characteristics and therefore has gained significance as a potential candidate for advanced applications such as clean hydrogen fuel harvesting, photoelectric solar panels, photothermal conversion, treatment of exhaust gases from combustion engines and power plants, thermal energy storage, thermal management of electronic devices and photovoltaics, and nano-thermofluids. This chapter presents a brief insight into some of the noteworthy characteristics and a comprehensive overview of advanced thermal applications of TiO2.