Lead stearate is a white powder, insoluble in water, soluble in hot ethanol, benzene, and turpentine. It forms a gel-like substance when dissolved in organic solvents upon heating and then cooling. It decomposes into stearic acid and corresponding salts when exposed to strong acids and is hygroscopic.

Lead stearate can be used as a heat stabilizer and lubricant for polyvinyl chloride (PVC), offering good lubricity and light/heat stability. It exhibits excellent synergistic effects when combined with cadmium soaps, barium soaps, or organotin compounds. It is suitable for various opaque rigid and flexible PVC products, such as hard pipes, rigid sheets, thin plates, films, and artificial leather. It is particularly suitable for wire and cable materials, imparting excellent electrical properties to the products. However, it is toxic, susceptible to sulfide contamination, and prone to blooming at high usage levels. The lead chloride formed during processing by reacting with hydrogen chloride from the resin can affect the transparency of the products. It is also used as a drying agent and flatting agent in paints, as well as a thickener for lubricating greases, such as in 70°C sheath-grade PVC cable compounds, 90°C and 105°C cable compounds, PVC pipes, fittings, profile pipes, rigid sheets, shoe materials, etc. Since it is insoluble in water, it can also be used in formulations for rigid PVC drinking water pipes.

Additionally, in oilfield chemicals, it is used as a lubricant and pipe-freeing agent, as well as a defoamer for drilling fluids. It is also employed as an anti-settling agent in paints, a waterproofing agent for fabrics, a thickener for lubricating oils, and a heat stabilizer for plastics. It serves as a stabilizer for opaque flexible and rigid PVC products.

Chinese Name: 硬脂酸鉛

Foreign Name: Stearic acid lead salt

Chinese Alias: 十八酸鉛鹽

English Name: Lead stearate

CAS Number: 56189-09-4

Molecular Formula: C36H70O4Pb

Linear Molecular Formula: [CH3(CH2)16COO]2Pb

Molecular Weight: 774.14