Aggregation and dispersion behavior of nanometer and submicrometer scale TiO 2 particles in aqueous suspension were investigated using three kinds of mechanical dispersion methods: ultrasonic irradiation, milling with 5-mm-diameter balls, and milling with 50 lm beads. Polyacrylic acids with molecular weights ranging from 1200 to 30 000 g/mol were used as a dispersant, and the molecular weight for each dispersion condition was optimized. Viscosities and aggregate sizes of the submicrometer powder suspensions were not appreciably changed in the ultrasonic irradiation and 5-mm-ball milling trials. In contrast, in the trials in which nanoparticle suspension was used, ultrasonic irradiation produced better results than 5-mm-ball milling. Use of ultrasonication enabled dispersion of aggregates to primary particle sizes, which was determined based on the specific surface area of the starting TiO 2 powders, even for relatively high solid content suspensions of up to 15 vol%. Fiftymicrometer-bead milling was also able to disperse aggregates to the same sizes as the ultrasonic irradiation method, but 50-lmbead milling can be used only in relatively low solid content suspensions. It was concluded that the ultrasonic dispersion method was a useful way to prepare concentrated and highly dispersed nanoparticle suspensions.