Gilsonite for Adhesives, Rubber & Foundry

Gilsonite for Adhesives, Rubber & Foundry

Zagros Gilsonite supplies high-quality Gilsonite for adhesives, rubber compounding, and foundry applications. As a direct mine owner, we deliver consistent, high-performance natural asphaltite that improves tack, hardness, heat resistance, and casting quality — at a lower cost than many synthetic alternatives.

Whether you manufacture hot-melt adhesives, rubber goods, or produce iron and steel castings, our Gilsonite helps improve product performance, reduce raw material costs, and simplify formulation.

 

Why Use Gilsonite in Adhesives, Rubber & Foundry?

Gilsonite is a natural, carbonaceous hydrocarbon resin with a high softening point, low ash content, and excellent compatibility with rubbers, resins, solvents, and foundry sand systems. It functions as a tackifier, reinforcing resin, plasticizer, and carbon additive depending on the application.

Key benefits:

· Excellent tackifying and reinforcing properties
· Improves heat resistance and hardness
· Low ash and low sulfur compared to many alternatives
· Good compatibility with natural and synthetic rubbers
· Reduces smoke, emissions, and odor in foundry use
· Soluble in aromatic and aliphatic solvents
· Cost-effective compared to synthetic resins
· Consistent quality from a direct mine source

Key Applications

 

1. Adhesives & Sealants

Gilsonite is a proven tackifier and reinforcing resin in adhesives and sealants. It improves tack, peel strength, heat resistance, and adhesion to difficult substrates such as metal, concrete, and rubber.

Best for:

· Hot-melt adhesives
· Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSA)
· Solvent-based and rubber-based adhesives
· Contact cements and rubber cements
· Asphalt-based adhesives and cements
· Tile, flooring, and construction adhesives
· Sealants, mastics, and joint compounds
· Waterproofing and roofing adhesives

Benefits:

· Improved tack and green strength
· Higher heat resistance and reduced cold flow
· Better adhesion to metal and concrete
· Improved water and moisture resistance
· Reduced formulation cost vs. synthetic tackifiers

Typical dosage: 5–30% by weight, depending on formulation and performance target.

 

2. Rubber & Rubber Compounds

Gilsonite is widely used in rubber compounding as a reinforcing resin, tackifier, and processing aid. It increases hardness and stiffness while improving processing behavior and dispersion of fillers.

Best for:

· Molded and extruded rubber goods
· Hoses, belts, and conveyor belting
· Gaskets, seals, and O-rings
· Shoe soles and industrial footwear
· Rubber rolls, mats, and flooring
· Tire compounds and retread compounds
· Hard rubber (ebonite) products
· Rubber-based adhesives and cements

Benefits:

· Increased hardness and tensile strength
· Improved tear and abrasion resistance
· Better tack and building properties
· Improved filler dispersion and processing
· Reduced cost compared to high-loading synthetic resins
· Good compatibility with NR, SBR, and other common rubbers

Typical dosage: 3–10 phr (parts per hundred rubber), depending on hardness and performance requirements.

 

3. Foundry & Metallurgy

Gilsonite is a leading carbonaceous additive for foundry sands and core systems. As a lustrous carbon former, it creates a reducing atmosphere in the mold that prevents sand burn-on, veining, and penetration defects — producing cleaner castings with better surface finish.

Best for:

· Green sand molding systems
· Iron and steel castings
· Core sand and core binders
· Foundry mold and core coatings (washes)
· Investment casting and specialty casting

Benefits:

· Excellent casting surface finish
· Reduced burn-on, veining, and penetration defects
· Lower smoke, odor, and emissions than seacoal
· Lower sulfur content than coal-based additives
· Improved shakeout and sand reclamation
· Reduced sand inclusion defects
· Lower additive cost per ton of sand

Typical dosage: 1–5% by weight of sand, alone or blended with seacoal and other carbon additives.

 

4. Other Industrial Uses

Gilsonite also performs in:

· Asphalt and bituminous products
· Battery and carbon products
· Explosives and pyrotechnics
· Ceramics and refractory binders
· Drilling fluid additives