Titanium dioxide TDS vs SDS vs COA
What each document proves, what it cannot prove, and how a TiO₂ buyer should connect the named grade, agreed specification and commercial lot before shipment.
TDS defines the grade, SDS communicates safety, and COA connects the shipment to a lot.
Use all three documents for different decisions. The technical data sheet (TDS) supports product selection and records typical properties or specification limits for a named manufacturer and grade. The safety data sheet (SDS) covers identification, hazards, handling, storage, exposure controls and emergency information. The certificate of analysis (COA) belongs to a specific commercial lot and reports test results or conformity against the approved specification. None of these documents replaces a formulation trial.
Read each document for the decision it was designed to support.
| Document | Main purpose | Buyer should verify | Does not prove by itself |
|---|---|---|---|
| TDS Technical data sheet | Identifies the producer and grade, application scope, properties, specification limits and sometimes test methods. | Manufacturer, exact grade, revision/date, crystal form, treatment, units, methods and whether values are limits or typical data. | That every lot has the same reported result; final performance in the buyer's formulation. |
| SDS Safety data sheet | Communicates hazard, composition, handling, storage, exposure-control, transport and emergency information under the applicable jurisdiction. | Product identifier, supplier, revision, destination language/format, handling controls and any transport or regulatory statements relevant to the route. | Opacity, tinting strength, dispersion, weatherability or batch conformity. |
| COA Certificate of analysis | Links a commercial lot to measured results or conformity statements. | Producer and grade, lot/batch number, test date, parameter names, methods/units, specification limits, results and release authorization. | Application performance not tested on the COA; equivalence to another producer or grade. |
Core rule: the named producer and grade must match across quotation, TDS or agreed sales specification, SDS, packaging and lot COA. A generic document with a similar grade code is not sufficient.
Translate document fields into buyer decisions.
Compare both the value and its basis. Similar labels can hide different methods, units or reference standards.
| Field | What it helps control | Qualification boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal form / rutile conversion | Separates rutile and anatase and supports durability-oriented grade selection. | Crystal form alone does not prove weatherability or application fit. |
| TiO₂ content | Confirms a compositional specification for the named grade. | A higher percentage is not automatically higher hiding, gloss, durability or formulation value. |
| Surface treatment | Helps explain differences in dispersion, durability, gloss, processing and formulation demand. | Record the treatment declaration, then test the finished formulation. |
| Oil absorption | Supports comparison of binder or vehicle demand and formulation behaviour. | Method, units and formulation response must match the buyer's comparison protocol. |
| pH and water-extract resistivity | Help evaluate compatibility, soluble-ion control and process consistency where specified. | Confirm extraction method, units and acceptance limits. |
| Moisture / volatiles and sieve residue | Support handling, dispersion and contamination control. | Sampling, conditioning and method can change the result. |
| Tinting strength, whiteness and undertone | Support colour and opacity comparison. | Keep the reference pigment and method fixed. Reynolds number and percentage-versus-standard data are not directly interchangeable. |
Compare the five current Jinan Yuxing grades in the specification matrix →
Connect documents from RFQ to lot acceptance.
1. RFQ and quotation
- Name the manufacturer and exact grade.
- State application, incumbent or target specification, quantity and destination.
- Request the current controlled TDS and applicable SDS privately.
2. Technical qualification
- Compare methods, units and limits on a like-for-like basis.
- Define the buyer's critical parameters and application tests.
- Approve a trial or retained reference under controlled conditions.
3. Pre-shipment release
- Fix the agreed sales specification and inspection plan.
- Confirm packaging, marking, lot identity and destination documents.
- Resolve any method or limit differences before loading.
4. Receipt and traceability
- Match packaging and lot number to the COA.
- Check results against the agreed limits.
- Retain the quotation, controlled specification, COA and receiving record.
Five document mistakes that create TiO₂ claims and quality disputes
- Buying by grade code alone. Codes such as R838 can appear in more than one market context; always fix the producer and current document.
- Treating a typical value as a guaranteed limit. Mark each field as minimum, maximum, range, typical or report-only.
- Ignoring the test method. A parameter name without its method, reference and unit may not be comparable.
- Using the SDS as a performance specification. The SDS is a hazard-communication document, not proof of hiding, dispersion or durability.
- Approving a COA without a governing specification. A result has meaning only when linked to the agreed limit, method and lot.
Minimum RFQ document checklist
- Manufacturer and exact grade.
- Application, binder/resin or process, incumbent grade and failure mode.
- Current controlled TDS and applicable SDS.
- Critical parameters, limits, units and test methods.
- Trial quantity, annual volume, packaging and destination.
- Required COA fields, inspection point, retained sample and release rule.
- Destination labeling, language, import and regulatory requirements.
Official SDS format references.
Official minimum-information framework for SDS sections under the U.S. Hazard Communication Standard. Destination rules still need separate confirmation.
Official explanation of the standardized 16-section SDS format and the type of information workers and buyers should locate.
TDS, SDS and COA questions.
What is the difference between a TiO₂ TDS, SDS and COA?
A TDS describes the named grade and its limits or typical data; an SDS communicates safety and handling information; a COA reports results or conformity for a particular commercial lot. Use the three together.
Can a COA replace the TDS?
No. The TDS or agreed sales specification defines the approved basis, while the COA connects a lot to results or conformity. The producer, grade, methods and units must match.
Does the TDS prove finished-product performance?
No. It supports shortlisting. Hiding, colour, gloss, durability, dispersion and processing must be tested in the buyer's formulation and process.
Why do test method and units matter?
Similar parameter names may use different references or procedures. Reynolds-number tinting data, for example, should not be compared directly with a percentage-versus-standard result.
Can I download TiO2 Source supplier PDFs publicly?
No. Applicable controlled supplier TDS, SDS and COA documents are provided privately during quotation and order qualification. The public site does not expose supplier source PDFs.
Build a document-controlled TiO₂ quotation.
Send the named grade or application, target limits, incumbent document, annual volume, destination and required TDS/SDS/COA fields.
Compare the five verified TiO₂ grade specifications.
Review crystal form, TiO₂ content, surface treatment, oil absorption, pH, tinting-method boundaries and manufacturer-listed applications in one evidence-aligned matrix.