Metallic Soaps (Driers)

Toei Chemical has improved the faults of inorganic metallic salts traditionally used as paint desiccants while we were also the first in the industry to research fatty acid metallic soaps in order to expand their use. We were also the first company in Japan to successfully manufacture naphthene metallic soaps starting in 1950.

For many years, until the present day, we have enjoyed a favorable reputation among our customers, and currently are striving to make metallic soaps more practical for use as drying accelerants for paints and printing inks by using driers and metallic soaps as synonyms with both defined as being drying accelerants.

Types of Driers

1. Solid driers
2. Liquid driers
1) Oil-based driers
- Naphthene metallic soaps
- Octhenate metallic soaps
2) Special driers
- Water-soluble driers (High-Cure Mix)
- Oil-based/Water-soluble driers (Activated drier Ts)


As liquid driers are generally used due to workability and uniformity, metallic soaps are diluted with petroleum solvent such that normally mineral spirit (turpentine) is the solvent. Types of liquid driers are mainly regulated for their metallic content with the content width controlled at �} 0.2%.
Concentration of metallic content can be adjusted according to user needs allowing us to provide thorough quality control.
A solid drier is perfect if you want to avoid mixing solvent.
Additionally, we can provide water-soluble and activated drier T for use with water-soluble paints.

Drier Properties

Generally for paints and printing inks, metallic ions of metallic soaps function as the catalyst of oxidation polymerization reactions that are the main hardening reactions. Additionally, it is necessary to have compounds that can release metal ions, while it is also normally necessary to have oil-soluble metallic compounds in order to achieve uniform elution within the resin. Even with the use of water-soluble paints used in response to recent non-pollution actions, there are still issues with non-oil solubility from the standpoint of solubility and stability. In consideration of factors such as moderate stability between metal and carrier units, solubility, drying effectiveness, affect on paint film, workability, storage stability and economy, currently monobasic acid salts of metals, such as naphthene metallic salts and octhenate (2-ethylhexanoic acid) metallic soaps are generally used.

As completely new types of driers are expected to appear in the future due to paints changing to become high solidification, non-soluble and water soluble, Toei Chemicals is manufacturing water soluble and activated drier Ts as special driers for such future demand.