🖌️ Paints & Varnishes Driers

Metal Soap Driers: The Catalyst of Oxidative Curing

Alkyd and oil-based paints do not dry by evaporation alone — the film cross-links by autoxidation. Metal soaps catalyze that reaction, and their selection determines your pot life, surface flash, hard dry time and final film hardness.

Primary Driers

• Cobalt Octoate (CAS 136-52-7, 8% Co in 200# solvent oil) — the industry-standard surface drier; fast top-dry, light color, virtually odorless. Dose 0.1–0.5% on resin solids.
• Cobalt Naphthenate (CAS 61789-51-3) — classic general-purpose drier with broader compatibility across alkyd systems.
• Manganese Octoate (CAS 15956-58-8) — powerful through-dry partner, and the cobalt-free surface-drying option.

Secondary & Through-Dry Driers

Zirconium Octoate improves hardening without color shift; Cerium Octoate is a high-performance through-dry and auxiliary drier for both solvent-borne and high-solids systems. Our Lead Naphthenate remains available for regulated industrial applications — and every drier can be replaced or blended with lead-free alternatives to meet local chemical restrictions.

Formulation Notes

Order matters: premix metal soaps with the resin before adding solvent and pigments; avoid over-dosing cobalt (surfacing and yellowing at > 0.1% on resin solids as Co). Keep each drier in a sealed container in a cool, ventilated area — flash point of the 200# solvent carrier is ≥ 40 °C. Every batch ships with a COA stating the actual metal content and viscosity; sample testing before bulk is recommended and free of charge for most systems.

Request a drier sample with full specification — our technologists will match your resin and target dry profile.