Used primarily in the production of titanium metal and titanium dioxide pigments. It serves as a key intermediate in the Kroll process, where it is reduced with magnesium or sodium to produce metallic titanium. In the pigment industry, it is oxidized to form high-purity titanium dioxide, widely used in paints, coatings, plastics, and paper for its bright white color and opacity.

Also employed as a catalyst or precursor in organic synthesis, especially in Friedel-Crafts reactions and other chlorination processes. Its strong Lewis acidity makes it useful in initiating polymerization reactions, such as in the Ziegler-Natta process for polyethylene and polypropylene production, and in the manufacturing of smoke screens due to rapid hydrolysis in air, producing dense white fumes—utilized in military and special effects applications.

In materials science, it is applied in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques to create thin films of titanium nitride or titanium carbide for wear-resistant coatings. It is also used in laboratory research to prepare advanced titanium compounds for catalysts or durable surface coatings.