Zinc stearate is a “zinc soap” widely used industrially. In this context, soap is used in its formal sense as the metal salt of a fatty acid: in this case, stearic acid. It is a white solid that repels water. It is insoluble in polar solvents such as alcohol and ether, but dissolves in aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. benzene) and chlorinated hydrocarbons when heated. It is the strongest mold release agent among all metal soaps. It does not contain electrolytes and has a hydrophobic effect. Its main areas of application are in the plastics and rubber industries, where it is used as an easily incorporated release agent and lubricant.
Zinc carboxylates, eg. basic zinc acetate adopts complex formulas and is not just zinc dicarboxylates. Instead, the formula for most zinc carboxylates is Zn4O(O2CR)6 and consists of a Zn4O6+ core with flanking carboxylate ligands.
Applications : It can be used in many different building materials, especially joint materials. These products, which have the appearance of a white powder, are insoluble in cold water. Zinc stearate, which acts as a stabilizer for plastic products, is also preferred in the plastics industry. Zinc stearate, which is preferred in tablet production, varnishes and cosmetics industry, should be stored in a dry and cool area. Zinc stearate is also preferred in paint, construction chemicals, textile, paper, cosmetics and concrete industries. Zinc stearate, which is used for different purposes such as cable industry, construction chemicals, is also preferred in coating additives and paint additives.
It is widely used as a release agent for the manufacture of many kinds of objects, such as rubber, polyurethane, polyester processing system, powder metallurgy. These applications take advantage of its “non-stick” properties. In cosmetics, zinc stearate is a lubricant and thickening agent used to improve texture. Because it is lipophilic, it acts as a phase transfer catalyst for the saponification of oils. It is a component of some gloss paints.