Plastics & Rubber

Zinc oxide is widely used in the plastics industry to prevent discoloration, maintain heat stability and product transparency and can be found in various plastic products, such as stretch film, and food-grade packaging.

Zinc oxide also plays a critical and irreplaceable role in the manufacture of tire rubber. Zinc oxide serves as an “activator” in the vulcanization process that turns soft, sticky rubber into stable components that allow a tire to carry the weight of a vehicle and to stop safely. In the curing process of natural rubber, the unreacted portion zinc oxide remains available to neutralize the sulfur-bearing acidic decomposition products formed during vulcanization. Adequate levels of zinc oxide contribute markedly to chemical reinforcement, scorch control, and resistance to heat-aging and compression fatigue.