R & D

Since the inception of this division in the early 1920s, the products have been continuously developed and improved. Blachford initially entered the powdered metal market by developing a specific grade of zinc stearate. Technology has advanced to other stearates as well as compounded lubricants (Caplubes) offering lower part stripping pressures with better physical properties. Caplubes are all designed with decreasing ash which results in less effluent in sintering furnaces. Since entering the market for anti-tack agents for rubber, Blachford’s products for rubber have advanced from simple soaps, talc and clay to compounded products offering distinct advantages for rubber processing such as less effluent, better drying, and improved use rates. R&D continues to design metallic stearate grades for specific end uses as well as improving processes for manufacture.