Particle surface treatment

1. A method of treating particulate titanium dioxide, the method comprising:

i) providing the particulate titanium dioxide comprising a crystal structure, wherein the particulate titanium dioxide comprises aluminum oxide within the crystal structure in a molar excess of an amount required to compensate any Nb 2 O 5 in the crystal structure; and then

ii) treating the particulate titanium dioxide by adding a coating agent that is an alkylphosphonic acid or an ester thereof, the alkylphosphonic acid comprising a C 6 -C 22 alkyl group, and steam micronizing the particulate titanium dioxide with a steam micronizer so that a vapor exit temperature from the steam micronizer is 150° C. or higher, so as to obtain a micronized particulate titanium dioxide that is provided with the coating agent at an outer surface,

wherein,

the molar excess of the aluminum oxide in the crystal structure of the particulate titanium dioxide to be treated is from 0.2% to 2% on a molar basis.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the method does not include a coating step of an aluminum oxide coating.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the particulate titanium dioxide in step i) has a pH of from 5 to 9.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the coating agent is added in an amount of from 0.1% to 0.2%, when measured as an amount of phosphorus by weight with respect to TiO 2 .

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the coating agent is added in an amount of from 0.12% to 0.15%, when measured as the amount of phosphorus by weight with respect to TiO 2 .

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein,

the treating by adding the coating agent in step ii) is started prior to the steam micronizing, and continues during some or all of the steam micronizing, or

the treating by adding the coating agent in step ii) does not start prior to the steam micronizing, and only occurs during some or all of the steam micronizing.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the particulate titanium dioxide includes within the crystal structure aluminum oxide in the molar excess of the amount required to compensate any Nb 2 O 5 in the crystal structure.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the particulate titanium dioxide to be treated does not comprise the aluminum oxide coating.

9. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the method does not comprise a wet treatment step.

10. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the treating by adding the coating agent in step ii) does not start prior to the steam micronizing, and only occurs during some or all of the steam micronizing.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the method does not include at least one of a filtration step, a washing step, and a drying step.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the particulate titanium dioxide was manufactured via the chloride process.

13. A treated particulate titanium dioxide produced via the method as recited in claim 1 .

14. A method of preparing a polymeric composition, the method comprising:

providing the treated particulate titanium dioxide as recited in claim 13 ; and then

mixing the treated particulate titanium dioxide with a polymer.

15. A polymeric composition produced via the method as recited in claim 14 .

16. A method of producing a polymer product, the method comprising:

providing the polymeric composition as recited in claim 15 ; and

calendaring or extruding or molding the polymeric composition to form the polymer product.

17. A polymer product produced via the method as recited in claim 16 .