Fluid Film

What Fluid Film does

Fluid Film, manufactured by Eureka Chemical Company, is a privately held, family-owned specialty chemicals manufacturer of lanolin-based corrosion preventives, lubricants, and rust inhibitors. Founded in the 1940s by Dr. Herman Hess—a West Coast chemist who originally formulated the product for the U.S. Navy during World War II to combat ballast tank corrosion—and incorporated in 1953, the company is currently managed by descendants of the founder and operates from South San Francisco, California with a reported headcount of 1-10 employees. The proprietary formulation combines specially processed wool-wax (lanolin) with highly refined petroleum oils, contains no solvents and less than 1% VOC content, and delivers non-toxic, non-hazardous, self-healing corrosion protection for all metals that remains permanently soft and does not dry or crack like traditional hard coatings.

The product family spans multiple delivery formats and specialty variants: Fluid Film Aerosol & Bulk (the core offering in cans, pails, and drums), Fluid Film Black (undercoating/chassis), Liquid A and Liquid AR (oily and gel marine formulations), WRO-EP and WRN-EP (wire rope and open gear lubricants with MIL-PRF-18458 C conformance), Gel BW, Gel BN, and Gel BEW (long-term gel coatings), and the FFSG spray gun application system. The technology has been validated by military specifications (MIL-PRF-18458 C, MIL-C-16173, MIL-C-23050, MIL-R-21006), Boeing's Space Shuttle specification MB0110-020, and adoption by NASA, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Defense, Delta Airlines, John Deere, Caterpillar, Case/New Holland, the UK Ministry of Defense, and the City of San Francisco, among others.

Fluid Film generates revenue through one-time product sales via a multi-channel distribution strategy spanning national retail chains (Lowe's, NAPA Auto Parts, AutoZone, O'Reilly, Menards, ACE Hardware), industrial distributors (Grainger, Fastenal), agricultural OEM dealer systems (John Deere, Kubota USA), a certified undercoating applicator network, e-commerce (Summit Racing, The Rust Store, Gemplers), and an international distributor network covering 35+ countries across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Africa. The company has not raised external capital, has no institutional investors, and operates independently without a parent company.

Name

Fluid Film

Legal name

Eureka Chemical Company

Website

https://fluid-film.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fluid Film, a family-owned specialty chemicals manufacturer established in the 1940s, produces lanolin-based corrosion preventives, lubricants, and rust inhibitors serving marine, industrial, agricultural, automotive, aviation, and government/defense customers across 35+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corrosion Preventive and Lubricant

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)

SIC

Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAEAGAK

Coating & Adhesive Raw Materials (Resins, Additives, Solvents)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Chemicals & Industrial Materials/Coatings, Adhesives & Sealants

SECONDARYIMAEAAAJ

Bulk Plasticizers & Additives (Commodity Grade)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Chemicals & Industrial Materials/Basic & Commodity Chemicals

Keywords

• Corrosion preventive lubricants
• Lanolin-based coatings
• Industrial rust protection
• Marine corrosion control
• Wire rope lubricants

Headquarters

HQ city

South San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Fluid Film Product Sales: Fluid Film generates revenue through the sale of its lanolin-based corrosion preventive and lubricant products, available in various forms including aerosol cans, bulk liquids, gels, and specialized formulations for different applications. Products are sold through retail, industrial distributors, dealer networks, and direct sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Eureka Chemical Company manufactures and sells the Fluid Film line of lanolin (wool wax)-based corrosion preventives, lubricants, and rust inhibitors, offered in aerosol cans, bulk liquids, gels, and specialty wire-rope grades. Products are solvent-free, non-toxic, and self-healing, and are used across marine, industrial, agricultural, aviation, military, automotive, and consumer applications to stop existing rust and provide long-term metal protection.

Product overview

Fluid Film is a family of lanolin-based corrosion preventive, lubricant, and rust inhibitor products manufactured by Eureka Chemical Company. The product line consists of multiple delivery formats (aerosol, non-aerosol/bulk liquids, gels) and specialized formulations (standard, black, wire rope lubricants). The core products—Fluid Film Aerosol/Bulk and Fluid Film Black—serve as general-purpose corrosion protection and lubrication. Liquid variants (Liquid A, Liquid AR) offer different viscosity and application characteristics. Wire rope-specific products (WRO-EP, WRN-EP) provide extreme pressure lubrication. Gel products (BW, BN, BEW) deliver long-term protective coatings for marine and industrial environments. The FFSG spray gun system enables bulk application. All products share a solvent-free lanolin base with less than 1% VOC content, providing corrosion protection, water displacement, and long-lasting lubrication across diverse applications including marine, agriculture, automotive, aviation, and industrial sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fluid Film Black: Black-colored version of FLUID FILM aerosol and non-aerosol for vehicle undercoating and chassis restoration.
• Liquid A
• Liquid AR
• WRO-EP
• WRN-EP
• Gel BW
• Gel BN
• Gel BEW
• FFSG (Fluid Film Spray Gun)

Quantifiable outcome

• Extends locomotive drive chain life by 300% in salt harvesting applications
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered regional and national.

• Stotts Engineering (Australia)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian distributor for Fluid Film products located in Beresfield, NSW.
• Fertan BulgariaregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBulgarian distributor for Fluid Film products based in Sofia.
• NLS Products (Canada)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian distributor for Fluid Film products based in Ontario.
• Qingdao Eureka High Technology Co. (China)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChinese distributor representing Fluid Film in China and Hong Kong, also covering Vietnam, Thailand and Philippines.
• MarineCo (UK)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK distributor for Fluid Film products based in Saltash, Cornwall.
• Hodt Korrosionsschutz GmbH (Germany)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman distributor for Fluid Film products located in Wentorf bei Hamburg.
• Grainger Industrial SupplynationalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor U.S. industrial distributor selling Fluid Film product line nationally 'for the ones who get it done' in various industries.
• Lowe'snationalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational home improvement retailer carrying Fluid Film products.
• NAPA Auto PartsnationalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeader in auto supplies distributing Fluid Film through NAPA retail locations.
• Kubota USAnationalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgricultural equipment manufacturer whose dealers sell Fluid Film products.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CRC Industries: Manufacturer of specialty chemicals including penetrants, corrosion inhibitors, lubricants, and cleaners for automotive, industrial, marine, and aviation markets. Directly overlaps Fluid Film's industrial MRO and fleet customer base with a much broader product portfolio.
• LPS Laboratories: Specialty chemical brand focused on penetrants, lubricants, rust inhibitors, and corrosion preventives for industrial MRO. Closely comparable product line to Fluid Film and competes head-to-head in industrial distribution (Grainger, Fastenal) and aviation MRO channels.
• AMSOIL: Specialty synthetic lubricant and corrosion-preventive manufacturer with strong direct-to-consumer and dealer distribution model. Comparable in lubricant chemistry focus and in bypassing traditional industrial distribution.
• Kano Laboratories (Kroil): Specialty manufacturer of penetrants and corrosion-preventive oils (Kroil, Aerokroil) with a long heritage in industrial maintenance. Directly comparable in penetrant and rust-loosening applications used by the same heavy-marine, aviation, and industrial MRO buyers.
• Cortec Corporation: Manufacturer of vapor-phase and film-based corrosion inhibitors (VpCI) used in industrial storage, shipping, and military applications. Closely comparable in corrosion-preventive chemistry for export/shipment preservation of equipment - the same use case Fluid Film cites for Caterpillar, Case/New Holland, and Patterson Rental Tools.
• BG Products: Manufacturer of specialty automotive and industrial maintenance chemicals, including penetrants, lubricants, and corrosion-preventive products sold through professional service channels. Comparable in automotive/fleet after-market focus and product format.
• WD-40 Company: Public specialty-chemical manufacturer best known for multi-use corrosion-preventive and lubricant sprays sold through the same retail (Walmart, Target, Lowe's, AutoZone, NAPA) and industrial channels that Fluid Film uses. Most directly comparable competitor in the consumer/DIY corrosion-preventive and penetrant category.

Broad incumbents

• Würth: Global industrial distribution and chemical products group with a broad corrosion-preventive, lubricant, and maintenance-chemical portfolio serving automotive, fleet, construction, and industrial MRO customers.
• Henkel (Loctite): Global adhesives, sealants, and surface-treatment major with industrial maintenance and corrosion-protection product lines (Loctite, Bonderite). Broad incumbent serving the same automotive, industrial MRO, and OEM customers.
• 3M (Industrial Adhesives & Tapes / Corrosion Protection): Global diversified industrial conglomerate with overlapping corrosion-protection, coating, and maintenance-chemical product lines. Competes in OEM, government, and industrial channels with much larger R&D and distribution scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fluid Film