Q: Can zinc stearate be used as a mold release agent?

Q: Can zinc stearate be used as a mold release agent?

Answer:Zinc stearate has good compatibility and is used as a release agent. It is mainly used as a release agent for thermoplastic and thermosetting products, such as polyurethane foam and unsaturated polyester. Zinc stearate is used as an internal release agent in polyurethane reaction injection molding. Its mechanism is that when two components are mixed and injected into the mold cavity, zinc stearate will precipitate into a gel like substance and migrate to the surface of the component as it solidifies, forming a high release film at the interface of the mold cavity.

Zinc stearate is also commonly used in plastic release agents, such as engineering plastics, because of its good lubricity and other advantages, and its demolding effect is also very good.
So how do we correctly select and use zinc stearate?

Zinc stearate should be selected with a fineness of 300 mesh or above, which has good fineness and dispersibility, and can evenly disperse zinc stearate into the raw material, exerting its lubricity and demolding properties. After selecting qualified zinc stearate, add an appropriate amount of zinc stearate to the raw material, mix thoroughly with a high-speed mixer, and then dry press it for processing.