USES OF NAPHTHENIC ACIDS AND ITS SALTS

Free naphthenic acids are corrosive and are mainly used as their salts and esters. The sodium salts are emulsifying agents for preparing agricultural insecticides, additives for cutting oils, and emulsion breakers in the oil industry.

Other metal salts of naphthenic acids have many varied uses. For example, calcium naphthenate is a lubricating oil additive, and zinc naphthenate is an antioxidant. Lead, zinc, and barium naphthenates are wetting agents used as dispersion agents for paints. Some oil soluble metal naphthenates, such as those of zinc, cobalt, and lead, are used as driers in oil-based paints. Among the diversified uses of naphthenates is the use of aluminum naphthenates as gelling agents for gasoline flame throwers (napalm). Manganese naphthenates are well-known oxidation catalysts.