Used primarily in the production of titanium metal and titanium dioxide pigment. It serves as a key intermediate in the Kroll process, where it is reduced with magnesium or sodium to produce metallic titanium for aerospace and industrial applications. In smoke screens and fog machines, titanium tetrachloride reacts with moisture in the air to form dense white fumes of hydrochloric acid and titanium oxychlorides, creating visible smoke. It is also employed as a catalyst in organic synthesis and polymerization reactions, particularly in the manufacturing of certain plastics. Due to its strong Lewis acidity, it finds use in specialized chemical transformations involving halogenation or chloride exchange.