The company produces a number of quality metal octoates, which find use as driers in Paints, Varnishes and Inks to enable them to dry after application. The drying process takes place in reasonable time. The rate of drying can be measured by standard methods.



There are two categories of driers, viz:

• Primary or Active driers
  
• Auxiliary Driers

Primary or Active Driers include Cobalt, Manganese, Iron and Cerium.
Auxiliary driers include lead, calcium, zinc and zirconium and are used in conjunction with the active drier to improve the final properties of the coatings.

Active Driers

Cobalt Octoate
This most important active drier metal affects rapid surface drying and is generally used in conjunction with auxiliary driers (commonly with lead, zinc or calcium).
It is used almost exclusively in printing ink driers because the rapid stacking of printed matter demands extremely fast drying. Wrinkling presents no problems because of the thinness of the printed film.
Use of excess cobalt will result in loss of gloss, wrinkling, poor hardness of the coating.
Although it has a violet colour, when used in proper concentration, it contributes very little colour to clear vanishes or white pigmented systems.
It is usually added at 0.02 to 0.1 % metal based on vehicle solids.

Manganese Octoate
Manganese, reddish-brown in appearance, another active drier metal and strong oxidant, promotes polymerisation to a greater degree than cobalt. It is an accelerator of polymerisation in baking finishes.
Manganese Octoate is particularly useful in fume proof coatings, because the sulphides formed in industrial atmospheres are light coloured. Zinc and Calcium is sometimes used along with manganese to further protect against staining.
Use of excess manganese will result in wrinkling and skinning. As with cobalt, manganese is used with lead, zinc or calcium. Often, systems such as manganese, cobalt and a through drier such as lead are used. It is usually added at 0.02 to 0.1 % metal based on vehicle solids

Cerium Octoate
When used as a drier, cerium is compared with lead. It is more active than lead and promotes polymerisation and through dry. Cerium and rare earths also find use in coatings dried at low temperature and high humidity. It is particularly useful with alkyd and epoxy resins or in combination of these with amine resins. It is usually added at 0.1-0.3% metal based on vehicle solids.

Auxiliary Driers

Lead Octoate
Lead is the most commonly used auxiliary drier and gives excellent through dry in most alkyd coatings. Because of the toxicity associated with lead compounds, the use of lead driers in paint has been reduced. It is used in many industrial applications and is regarded as the most effective through drier over a wide range of temperature. They are effective polymerisation catalysts, but have little effect upon oxidation and lead is used with an active oxidising metal such as cobalt and manganese to decrease the total drying time. It is usually added at 0.3 to 1.0% metal based on vehicle solids.

Calcium Octoate
Calcium has little drying action in itself and is used in combination with active driers where lead cannot be used. In fume proof enamels or in toy finishes, calcium can be used safely. It can also be used to replace lead in many baking finishes, where it shows better performance than any other auxiliary drier. In vehicles, which show poor lead tolerance, Calcium effectively prevents the precipitation of lead and maintain drier efficiency. It is used at 0.1 to 0.3% metal based on vehicle solids. Calcium Octoate is also a good alcoholysis catalyst and 0.20%. Calcium Octoate (3%) gives pale monoglycerides

Zinc Octoate
Zinc, alone, is ineffective but functions synergistically in the presence of a drier such as cobalt. The primary function of Zinc is to keep the film "open" thus permitting hardening throughout and preventing surface wrinkling. It is an excellent pigment wetting agent and therefore improves pigment dispersion. Incorporation of zinc in light coloured enamels gives less yellowing than cobalt alone. It is used at 0.1 to 0.2% metal based on vehicle solids.
Zinc Octoate in combination with cadmium and barium is a powerful PVC stabilizer.

Zirconium Octoate
Zirconium is an auxiliary drier and is widely used as a replacement for lead. Zirconium is generally used in combination with cobalt, manganese and calcium. Zirconium is a poor pigment wetting and dispersing agent. It is used at 0.1 too 0.6% metal based on vehicle solids.