Ferrous and ferric carboxylates are medium viscous dark red – brown solutions of the metallic soap with 2-ethyl hexanoic acid in mineral spirits.
Properties
Iron is an active drier only at elevated temperatures while it exhibits very poor drying activity at room temperature.
Therefore, it is used extensively as a primary drier in baking – stoving systems where it provides durable flexible and high gloss films. When used in air drying alkyd coatings it improves through drying.
The main disadvantage of iron is its dark colour; its high staining power and yellowing effect limit its use in dark coloured baking systems.
Iron carboxylates also function as pigment wetting agents and help the fast and better grinding of carbon black pigments.
Finally, it can be used as an adhesion promoter in the anti-corrosion coatings and as a replacement of lead in aluminium paints.
Iron complexes are very potent redox catalysts in aqueous solutions unlike solvent based alkyds because in polar solvents and ambient conditions Fe+3 is easily reduced to the necessary hydro peroxide initiator compounds.
Iron can also substitute manganese as combustion catalyst, especially at ferric state, exhibiting high efficiency with much lower toxicity.
Applications
Active drier in baking systems.
Through drier for air-drying alkyds and for aluminum pastes.
Printing inks drier.
Combustion catalyst.
Product range
ORGANO Fe 8
ORGANO Fe 6
Solvents: mineral spirits.
Solubility: Insoluble in water, soluble in organic solvents.
Packaging
ORGANO Fe 8 Iron drum of 200kg, plastic drum of 50kg.
ORGANO Fe 6 Iron drum of 180kg, plastic drum of 50kg.