Shepherd Chemical Rubber Adhesion Promoters – The Right Choice

Forty years ago, The Shepherd Chemical Company of Norwood, Ohio, a metal chemical manufacturer, found itself in the midst of the radial tire market expansion with technology that would advance the industry. Shepherd Chemical was a manufacturer of Cobalt organic chemicals since 1916. They were making Cobalt tallates, linoleates, oleates, naphthenates and octoates for the printing ink, coatings, polyester, and catalyst industries.

 

The mechanism for adhesion of the brass coated steel belt with natural rubber wire coat compound required cobalt chemicals soluble in rubber. The cobalt compound would initiate and maintain long term adhesion of the rubber to the belt under the heat and moisture conditions that tires were subjected to. Two hundred and fifty miles from Norwood was the capital of the tire industry at that time – Akron, Ohio. Shepherd’s technical staffs were able to work in collaboration with compounders and chemists at the tire company R&D centers to synthesize and test numerous cobalt materials.

 

 

The result: The Right Chemistry. Two synthetic Cobalt Rubber Adhesion promoters based on Neodecanoic Acid (C₁₀ acid). Products with higher metal contents, which could be boron modified and were free flowing materials with softening points well below Banbury temperatures and could be easily incorporated into wire coat compounds.

 

Cobalt Neodecanoate 20.5% and Cobalt Boro-Neodecanoate 22.5% were introduced in the late 80’s and soon began to replace earlier forms of Cobalt materials – Naphthenates and Stearates. Shepherd Chemical’s secure supply chain and consistent quality also brought the cost benefit of delivering Cobalt to the compound using less ligand with less production and packaging expense. Today Cobalt Neodecanoates and Cobalt Boro-Neodecanoates dominate the global market. More Cobalt is delivered in these forms of products than any other.

 

Shepherd Chemical has the most extensive line of Cobalt Rubber Adhesion Promoters in the industry and is a major global supplier with plants in the USA and Europe. When choosing a Cobalt Rubber Adhesion Promoter for your wire coat compound, choose from The Shepherd Chemical Company’s offering:

 

Cobalt Stearate

Cobalt Neodecanoate (2)

Cobalt Resinate

Cobalt Boro-Neodecanoate (2)

Cobalt Phos-Neodecanoate

 

Visit www.shepchem.com for more information about Cobalt Rubber Adhesion Promoters or contact us.