The zinc stearate manufacturing process consists of 3 main steps. These are double decomposition, direct transformation and fusion of the compounds. The first step generates waste water and requires special sanitary conditions.
Zinc Stearate is a hydrophobic organometallic compound with many industrial uses including soaps and plastics. It has a low melting point (120degC) and spreads evenly when heated.
It is used in the plastics industry as a lubricant, release and dusting agent for all types of rubber and plastic applications. It is also an excellent acid scavenger in polyolefin production and helps improve the abrasion resistance of sandpapers. It is a good water-in-oil emulsifier in cosmetic products, and serves as a coating agent to increase the water repellency of textile products, paper and paints.
During the manufacture of Zinc Stearate, it is important to ensure the quality of the final product. Therefore, a series of analytical tests and measurements are performed to monitor the quality of the zinc stearate.
The results of these tests demonstrate that the products produced by the double decomposition and direct transformation processes contain significant amounts of the dihydrate form of the zinc stearate. Characteristic peaks of ZnSt2 were seen on X-ray diffraction patterns and SEM micrographs.
This resulted in consistent, high-quality zinc stearate products that had excellent lubrication properties. The products are suitable for all rubber and plastic applications, but especially as a mould release and external lubricant. They are also useful in the coatings and construction chemicals industries.