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CarCareTruthProducts · Ranked

Titanium Dioxide

  • Dyes & colorants
  • CAS 13463-67-7
  • IUPAC: Titanium(IV) oxide

Titanium Dioxide (CAS 13463-67-7) appears in 4 of the 1,812 car-care products CarCareTruth tracks (as of June 2026).

IARC Group 2B (possible carcinogen) classification applies ONLY to respirable TiO2 dust inhalation — not to the pigment incorporated into a grease, paste, or liquid formulation. In a grease product (not a dry powder or aerosol dust), the TiO2 is bound in the matrix and not present as respirable particles. No GHS carcinogen classification (H351) is assigned at mixture level for non-dust formulations per SDS §3 footnote. Not a skin sensitizer, reproductive hazard, or aquatic toxin at typical product concentrations.

Titanium dioxide is an inorganic white pigment used in paints, coatings, plastics, and personal care products to provide opacity and bright white color. In white lithium grease formulations it gives the product its characteristic white appearance — distinguishing it visually from clear or yellowish petroleum greases.

The IARC Group 2B carcinogen classification for titanium dioxide applies specifically to inhalation of respirable-sized dust particles (<10 µm aerodynamic diameter). This hazard pathway exists in industrial dry-powder handling, not in consumer grease products where TiO2 is fully incorporated into the grease matrix. Most SDSs for white lithium grease products include an explicit note that the TiO2 carcinogen classification does not apply in the grease formulation because no respirable dust is generated during normal use.

At environmental concentrations from product use, titanium dioxide is not classified as acutely aquatically toxic and is not expected to bioaccumulate meaningfully in organisms at typical application quantities.

Health & environment profile

VOC
no
Prop 65 listed
no
Asthmagen
no
EPA Safer Choice
no
Aquatic toxicity
no
Biodegradable
no
Bioaccumulative
no
Persistent
no
Ozone depleting
no
Microplastic
no
PFAS
no
Env. score
4/5
Purpose: White pigment and opacifier; provides the characteristic white color in white lithium grease formulations

Common questions about Titanium Dioxide

What is Titanium Dioxide used for in car care?
White pigment and opacifier; provides the characteristic white color in white lithium grease formulations
Is Titanium Dioxide a VOC?
No. Titanium Dioxide is not classified as a volatile organic compound (VOC).
Is Titanium Dioxide on California's Proposition 65 list?
No. Titanium Dioxide is not on California's Proposition 65 list.

4 products contain this

Related

Health and environment notes translate the manufacturer Safety Data Sheet, the GHS classification, and authoritative regulatory listings (California Prop 65, EPA). Not medical advice. They describe the ingredient itself; whether a hazard applies to a finished product depends on its concentration and how it's used.