The main product is pigment grade titanium dioxide which is extracted from ilmenite, which is abundantly available as placer deposits on beaches near Kollam, 65 km north of Thiruvananthapuram. Ilmenite, a mixture of titanium dioxide and iron in the form of ferric/ferrous oxide, is treated with Sulphuric Acid to get Titanium dioxide and ferrous sulphate.
The company was promoted by His Highness Chithira Tirunal Balaramavarma Maharaja, the then ruler of the State of Travancore (now Kerala State in India) with the technical collaboration of British Titan Products. Though the company was registered in 1946, actual production was started only in 1952 with a small capacity of 5 t.p.a. Later subsequent expansions were made in 1962 and 1973 and now TTP can produce about 20000 tonnes of titanium dioxide per annum.[3]
In 1960 Government of Kerala took over the management of the Company. Now the administrative control is vested with the Department of Industries, Government of Kerala.
The company also possesses a modern sulphuric acid plant which was commissioned in 1996, for utilizing the tail gas recycling DCDA (Double Catalysis Double Absorption) technology. An alkali scrubbing system is incorporated in the plant, and this in turn helps to keep sulphur dioxide emissions from the factory well within permissible limits.
For about 50 years, TTP was one of the profit making Public Sector Undertaking of Government of Kerala. Every year company declares a dividend of around 20 per cent. TTP is contributing crores of rupees to the State exchequer by way of Sales Tax, other duties and levies. Welfare amenities, salary and perquisites, working environment etc. are comparatively satisfactory. TTP has a good library with around 25000 books in stock.
TTP has a strength of around 1300 employees now. Titanium also offers summer internships for engineering students to study and improve the functioning of the organisation.
During the 70s, Titanium Football team was one of the most acclaimed Football Clubs in Kerala, winning so many covetable trophies. Players like B. Sasikumaran Pillai, Sankarankutty, Abdul Hameed, Najumuddin, Thomas Sebastian, Abdul Rasheed Kariyambath, V. Jayakumar, Ebin Rose, Shahjahan, Shaukath, Martin, Shabeer & Usman were members of Titanium Football team.
In 1980 Titanium Volleyball Team was formed with national and international players like Cyril C. Velloor, K Udayakumar, Abdul Razak, N.C.Chacko, P.S.Mohammed Ali, Sebastian George etc. Subsequently, Danikutty David, Binu Jose, Tomy and others joined the team. The volleyball team won the Federation Cup in 1993.
References
^By TRAVANCORE TITANIUM PRODUCTS LTD. : "The visionary thinking of Maharaja of Travancore led to the incorporation of Travancore Titanium Products Limited on 18th December 1946 in collaboration with British Titan Products, UK (Huntsman). His highness late Sri. Chithira Thirunal Balaramavarma Maharaja visualized the industrialization of his kingdom by finding out the rich mineral deposits in the beach sand near Quilon."
