Preparing a Zinc Stearate Emulsion

Zinc stearate is a lubricant and release agent that can be used in plastics, rubber, coatings, inks, paints, thermal paper and cosmetics. It can be used to increase the smoothness and thickness of products, reduce the friction coefficient and improve the texture.

Uses for zinc stearate:

Generally, the use of zinc stearate in products is as a release agent, heat stabilizer, lubricant and grease. It is widely used in the plastics, rubber, coatings and inks industries.

In rubber production, zinc stearate can be used as an internal lubricant and dusting agent and as an activator for vulcanization. It also can be used in powdered rubber manufacturing as a mold release lubricant.

The invention discloses a method for preparing a stable aqueous dispersion of nanometer sized zinc stearate particles. This method is particularly suitable for coating toner particles on a surface. The dispersion can be prepared with a relatively simple process that does not require the use of harsh organic solvents.

One way to prepare a stable aqueous dispersion is to melt zinc stearate in water and then add a surfactant. This can be done in a controlled manner by controlling the temperature and pressure of the water.

Another method to prepare a stable aqueous zinc stearate emulsion is to agitate the mixture of metal-containing stearate with water and a solution of a zinc salt, preferably in a high shear mixing process. The zinc salt may be a commercial stearic acid, an imide, or a zinc-containing polyamide.