Self-deagglomerating suspensions of titanium (iv) oxides and methods for making them

A process for making a self-deagglomerating suspension of finely divided titanium (IV) oxide particles, comprising:

• vigorously mixing
• (a) a volume of a first component comprising an alcohol in an amount of more than 50 wt. % based on the weight of the first component, a titanium alkoxide in an amount ranging from 0.001 wt. % to 6 wt. % based on the weight of the first component, and a titanium alkoxide activator in an amount ranging from 0.2 wt. % to 1.6 wt. % based on the weight of the first component, the titanium alkoxide activator being selected from the group consisting of water and a first aqueous base selected from the group consisting of ammonium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, sodium pyrophosphate, potassium pyrophosphate, sodium citrate, diammonium hydrogen phosphate and mixtures thereof, and
• (b) a volume of a second component selected from the group consisting of water and a second aqueous base selected from the group consisting of ammonium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, sodium pyrophosphate, potassium pyrophosphate, sodium citrate, diammonium hydrogen phosphate and mixtures thereof,
• at least one of the first component or the second component having a base therein, the second component being substantially free of alcohol, the ratio of the volume of the first component to the volume of the second component being from about 1 to about 1 to about 3 to about 1, the mixture being initially opaque and subsequently spontaneously forming into a substantially optically transparent suspension.