Zirconium Octoate is a very efficient auxiliary drier. It is use in paint media with Cobalt and other auxiliary driers to boost up the performance of paints and varnishes. Zirconium Octoate is the best replacement of Lead octoate when used in combination with Cerium or Calcium octoate in the lead free paint systems.

Zirconium Octoate shows goods gloss retention, colour, and colour retention compared to Lead, but does not perform as well under adverse drying conditions of low temperature and high humidity. Zirconium Octoate is the most useful drierfor water resistant finishes due to its stabilizing effect on the ester linkages inthe media.

As a strong cross-linking agent, Zirconium improves the hardness and gives better adhesion. Because of its abrasion resistant characteristics it is used in wire enamels. In alkyd amino combinations, Zirconium Octoate has been proved to be the best auxiliary drier, which resists absorption and improves the performance of other driers used in combination with it. It has a good effect in epoxy esters too. But in the phenolic resin media, Zirconium has not shown any significant effect. Zirconium Octoate is widely used in white paints in combination with Cobalt and Cerium octoate as it reduces the yellowing tendency of the white film and retains the whiteness by protecting the film from any weather effects. Lead octoate is not recommended inthe white paint when Zirconium Octoate is used as an auxiliary drier.