Stearic acid

Stearic acid - Names and Identifiers

Name	Stearic acid
Synonyms	C18 FEMA 3035 Stearic acid hystrene5016 hystrene7018 Octadecan acid CETYLACETIC ACID n-Octadecan acid Octadecanoic acid CARBOXYLIC ACID C18 ACIDUM STEARICUM 50
CAS	57-11-4
EINECS	266-928-5
InChI	InChI=1/C18H36O2/c1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18(19)20/h2-17H2,1H3,(H,19,20)
InChIKey	QIQXTHQIDYTFRH-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Stearic acid - Physico-chemical Properties

Molecular Formula	C18H36O2
Molar Mass	284.48
Density	0.845 g/cm3
Melting Point	67-72 °C (lit.)
Boling Point	361 °C (lit.)
Flash Point	>230°F
JECFA Number	116
Water Solubility	0.1-1 g/100 mL at 23 ºC
Solubility	Insoluble in water, slightly soluble in ethanol, soluble in acetone, benzene, soluble in ether, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, etc.
Vapor Presure	1 mm Hg ( 173.7 °C)
Appearance	Solid
Specific Gravity	0.84 (80℃)
Color	White
Exposure Limit	ACGIH: TWA 10 mg/m3; TWA 3 mg/m3
Merck	14,8804
BRN	608585
pKa	pKa 5.75±0.00(H2Ot = 35) (Uncertain)
Storage Condition	Store below +30°C.
Refractive Index	1.4299
MDL	MFCD00002752
Physical and Chemical Properties	Appearance and properties: the pure product is a white soft piece with luster. melting point (℃): 70-71 boiling point (℃): 383 relative density (water = 1): 0.87 relative vapor density (Air = 1): 9.8 saturated vapor pressure (kPa): 0.13(173.7 ℃) flash point (℃): 196 ignition temperature (℃): 395 solubility: insoluble in water, slightly soluble in ethanol, soluble in acetone, benzene, soluble in ether, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, etc.
Use	It is widely used as cold-resistant plasticizer, stabilizer, surfactant, release agent, rubber vulcanization accelerator, etc.

Stearic acid - Risk and Safety

Risk Codes	R38 - Irritating to the skin R36/37/38 - Irritating to eyes, respiratory system and skin. R11 - Highly Flammable
Safety Description	S37/39 - Wear suitable gloves and eye/face protection S26 - In case of contact with eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical advice. S16 - Keep away from sources of ignition.
UN IDs	N/A
WGK Germany	3
RTECS	WI2800000
TSCA	Yes
HS Code	38231100
Toxicity	LD50 i.v. in mice, rats: 23±0.7, 21.5±1.8 mg/kg, L. Or, A. Wretlind, Acta Pharmacol. Toxicol. 18, 141 (1961)

Stearic acid - Upstream Downstream Industry

Raw Materials	Benzenesulfonic acid Castor oil Sorbitol Sodium hydroxide Palm oil
Downstream Products	Pentaerythrityl tetrastearate Monostearin isopropyl stearate Methyl stearate Octadecylamine Octadecanamide Magnesium Stearate paraffin Polyoxyethylene stearate

Stearic acid - Reference

Reference

1. Zheng mangrong, LV Xiaoling, Wang Jianxin et al. Comparison of main components and antioxidant capacity of three kinds of sea buckthorn oil [J]. Food Research and Development 2018(8):24-29.
2. Li Lili, Li Yue, Lu Heng, Wang Xiao. Metabolomics analysis of Flos lonicerae at different flowering stages based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry [J]. Chinese Journal of analysis and testing, 2020,39(12):1501-1507.
3. Zhan, Y-H, Wei, Y-C, Zhang, H-F, Luo, M-C, Zheng, T-T, Liao, S. Et al. Analysis of the thermogenesis mechanism of natural rubber under high speed strain. Polym Adv Technol. 2020; 31: 1994- 2006. https://doi.org/10.1002/pat.4923
4. [IF = 3.125] Pengfei Liu et al."Effect of five saturated fatty acids on the properties of sweet-potato-starch-based films."J Appl Polym Sci. 2015 Feb;132(5):
5. [IF=9.147] Ling Huang et al."Dietary fatty acid-mediated protein encapsulation simultaneously improving the water-solubility, storage stability, and oral absorption of astaxanthin."Food Hydrocolloid. 2022 Feb;123:107152
6. [IF=7.514] Ping Sun et al."Characterization of functional chocolate formulated using oleogels derived from β-sitosterol with γ-oryzanol/lecithin/stearic acid."Food Chem. 2021 Oct;360:130017
7. [IF=7.514] Zhaojing Jiang et al."Structuring of sunflower oil by stearic acid derivatives: Experimental and molecular modelling studies."Food Chem. 2020 Sep;324:126801
8. [IF=6.953] Dantong Zheng et al."Effect of a novel shell material-Starch-protein-fatty acid ternary nanoparticles on loading levels and in vitro release of curcumin."Int J Biol Macromol. 2021 Dec;192:471
9. [IF=6.707] Wenyan Zhao et al."Environmentally-friendly superhydrophobic surface based on Al2O3@KH560@SiO2 electrokinetic nanoparticle for long-term anti-corrosion in sea water."Appl Surf Sci. 2019 Aug;484:307
10. [IF=6.165] Adel Noubigh et al."Stearic acid solubility in mixed solvents of (water ethanol) and (ethanol ethyl acetate): Experimental data and comparison among different thermodynamic models."J Mol Liq. 2019 Dec;296:112101
11. [IF=5.03] Tingting Zheng et al."Study on the ozone aging mechanism of Natural Rubber."Polym Degrad Stabil. 2021 Apr;186:109514
12. [IF=4.952] Feilong Wei et al."Oleogel-structured emulsion for enhanced oxidative stability of perilla oil: Influence of crystal morphology and cooling temperature."Lwt Food Sci Technol. 2021 Mar;139:110560
13. [IF=4.379] Zhan Yue-Hua et al."Effect of protein on the thermogenesis performance of natural rubber matrix."Sci Rep-Uk. 2020 Oct;10(1):1-9
14. [IF=3.665] Yue-Hua Zhan et al."Analysis of the thermogenesis mechanism of natural rubber under high speed strain."Polym Advan Technol. 2020 Sep;31(9):1994-2006
15. [IF=3.638] Ruting Zheng et al.Gelation and Foaming Properties of Fatty Acid Mixtures in Sunflower Oil.Journal Of The Science Of Food And Agriculture.2021 Nov 29
16. [IF=7.514] Donghui Li et al."Fabricating hydrophilic fatty acid-protein particles to encapsulate fucoxanthin: Fatty acid screening, structural characterization, and thermal stability analysis."Food Chem. 2022 Jul;382:132311
17. [IF=7.147] Ziao Zheng et al."Design and optimization of an air-based phase change cold storage unit through cascaded construction for emergency cooling in IDC."Energy. 2022 Feb;241:122897
18. [IF=7.514] Qiongling Chen et al."Effect of fatty acid saturation degree on the rheological properties of pea protein and its high-moisture extruded product quality."FOOD CHEMISTRY. 2022 Oct;390:133139

Stearic acid - Nature

Open Data Verified Data

The Pure product is a white leaf-like solid with gloss. Slowly volatilize at 90-100 °c. Almost insoluble in water (20 deg C, 100ml water dissolved only 0. 00029g), soluble in ethanol, acetone, soluble in ether, chloroform, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, carbon disulfide, acetic acid and toluene and so on. In case of high heat, open flame or contact with oxidant, there is a risk of combustion.

Last Update：2025-06-10 22:55:16

Stearic acid - Preparation Method

Open Data Verified Data

The production methods of industrial stearic acid mainly include fractionation method and pressing method. Add decomposition agent in hardened oil, and then hydrolyzed to crude fatty acid, and then washed with water, distillation, decolorization to get the finished product. At the same time, by-product glycerol.

Last Update：2025-06-10 22:55:16

Stearic acid - Standard

Authoritative Data Verified Data

The main components of the solid fatty acids obtained from animal and vegetable oils of this strain are stearic acid (c18h36o2) and palmitic acid (clsh3202). The content of stearic acid (C18H3602) shall not be less than 40.0%, and the total content of stearic acid (C1SH3602) and palmitic acid (C16H3602) shall not be less than 90.0%.

Last Update：2024-01-02 23:10:35

Stearic acid - Trait

Authoritative Data Verified Data

This product is a white or off-white powder with a smooth feeling or a crystalline hard block, and its profile has fine needle-like crystals with microstrip luster; There is a slight odor similar to oil.
This product is soluble in chloroform or ether, soluble in ethanol, almost insoluble in water.

freezing point

The freezing point of this product (General rule 0613) is not less than 54°C.

iodine value

The iodine value of this product (General 0713) is not greater than 4.

acid value

The acid value of this product (General 0713) is 203~210.

Last Update：2022-01-01 11:26:15

Stearic acid - Introduction

Determination of water hardness. Determination of calcium, magnesium and lithium in turbidimetry. Solvent for determination of relative molecular weight.

Last Update：2022-10-16 17:26:29

Stearic acid - Application

Open Data Verified Data

stearic acid is a kind of fatty acid widely existed in nature, almost all oils have different content of stearic acid. In addition to oil-based drilling fluid emulsifier, also used as natural rubber, synthetic rubber (except butyl rubber) and latex vulcanization active agent, also used as plastic plasticizer and stabilizer of raw materials. It is used in the preparation of ointments, suppositories, etc., and also used in the manufacture of cosmetics, candles, waterproofing agents, brighteners, etc. The product is used in the food industry as a lubricant, antifoaming agent and food additives such as Glyceryl stearate, sorbitan stearate, Sucrose ester and other raw materials.

Last Update：2025-08-19 16:24:40

Stearic acid - Differential diagnosis

Authoritative Data Verified Data

In the chromatogram recorded under the content determination item, the retention time of the two main peaks of the test solution should be consistent with the retention time of the two main peaks of the control solution.

Last Update：2022-01-01 11:26:16

Stearic acid - Safety

Open Data Verified Data

mice and rats were intravenously injected with LD50:(23±0.7) mg/kg, (21.5±1.8) mg/kg. The mice were stored in a cool, ventilated room. Keep away from fire and heat source. Keep the container sealed. Should be stored separately from the oxidant.

Last Update：2022-01-01 09:28:21

Stearic acid - Exam

Authoritative Data Verified Data

color of solution

take an appropriate amount of this product and heat and melt it on a water bath at 75°C. If the color is colored, it shall not be deeper in comparison with the yellow-green No. 1 Standard Colorimetric solution (General rule 0901).

water-soluble acid

Take 5.0g of this product, heat and melt, add equal volume of new boiling hot water, shake for 2 minutes, let cool, filter, add 1 drop of methyl orange indicator solution to the filtrate, and do not show red and color.

neutral fat or wax

take 1. 0g of this product, add anhydrous sodium carbonate 0. 5 g and water 30ml, boil to dissolve, the solution should be clear.

ignition residue

take 4 .0g of this product and check it according to law (General rule 0841). The residue shall not exceed 0 .1%.

nickel

take 0.10g of this product, put it in a high pressure digestion tank, add an appropriate amount of nitric acid, heat it at 130°C until complete digestion, cool it, transfer it to a 10ml measuring flask, and dilute it to the scale with 1% nitric acid, as a test solution. Prepare blank solution D by the same method. Separately take standard solution of single nickel element and dilute it with 1% nitric acid to prepare 0, 5, 10 and 15mg/ml reference solution D. Take test solution and reference solution, according to Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (General Principles 0406, first method), in 232. The wavelength of Onm is measured and calculated, and obtained. The nickel content should not exceed 0.0001%.

Heavy metals

The residue left under the item of ignition residue shall be inspected by law (general law 0821, Law II) and shall not contain more than 5 parts per million of heavy metals.

Last Update：2022-01-01 11:26:17

Stearic acid - Content determination

Authoritative Data Verified Data

measured by gas chromatography (General rule 0M1).

chromatographic conditions and system suitability test a capillary column with polyethylene glycol 20m as stationary liquid; The initial temperature is 170°C, the temperature is maintained for 2 minutes, and then the temperature is raised to 240°C at a rate of 10°C per minute, hold for several minutes to record the chromatogram to 3 times the retention time of the second main peak except the solvent peak; The inlet temperature was 250°C; And the detector temperature was 260°C. The resolution of methyl stearate peak and methyl palmitate peak should be greater than 5 .0.
assay take this product about O.lg, precision weighing, Erlenmeyer flask, precision plus boron trifluoride methanol solution (13% ~ 15%)5ml shake to dissolve, water bath reflux for 20 minutes, cool, transfer to a separatory funnel with 10-15ml of n-hexane, Add 10ml of water and 10ml of saturated sodium chloride solution, layer by shaking, and discard the lower layer (aqueous layer), the n-hexane layer was dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate 6G to remove water, then placed in a 25ml measuring flask, diluted to the scale with n-hexane, and then shaken to be used as a test solution. In addition, 50mg of stearic acid control and 50mg of palmitic acid control were taken, the control solution was prepared by operating with the same method. The sample solution and the reference solution were accurately measured and 1ul of each solution was injected into the human gas chromatograph, and the chromatogram was recorded. The contents of stearic acid (C18H3602) and palmitic acid (c16h36o2) in the samples were calculated by peak area according to area normalization method.

Last Update：2022-01-01 11:26:17

Stearic acid - Category

Authoritative Data Verified Data

pharmaceutical excipients, lubricants and ointment base.

Last Update：2022-01-01 11:26:17

Stearic acid - Storage

Authoritative Data Verified Data

sealed storage.

Last Update：2022-01-01 11:26:18

Stearic acid - Reference Information

FEMA	3035 \| STEARIC ACID
NIST chemical information	information provided by: webbook.nist.gov (external link)
EPA chemical substance information	information provided by: ofmpeb.epa.gov (external link)
Introduction	stearic acid, legal number INS (International number system)570,EECNo.570,CAS[57-11-4], white or yellowish white solid, soluble in alcohol and acetone, soluble in ether, chloroform, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, carbon disulfide, amyl acetate and toluene, melting point 69.6 ℃, is one of the main components of oil.
fatty acids	stearic acid is one of several major long-chain fatty acids that make up fats and oils, in oils and some vegetable oils, these oils are hydrolyzed to give stearic acid. stearic acid is a kind of fatty acid widely existing in nature, which has the chemical properties of general carboxylic acid. Almost all oils and fats have different contents of stearic acid, which is higher in animal fats, such as butter content of up to 24%, less content in vegetable oil, tea oil is 0.8%, palm oil is 6%, but the content of cocoa butter is as high as 34%. The production methods of industrial stearic acid mainly include fractionation method and pressing method. Add decomposition agent in hardened oil, and then hydrolyzed to crude fatty acid, and then washed with water, distillation, decolorization to get the finished product. The by-product was glycerol. most manufacturers in China use animal fats and oils, and some production technologies will cause incomplete distillation of fatty acids, which will produce pungent odor during plastic processing and high-temperature use, although these odors are non-toxic, but it will have a certain impact on the working conditions and the natural environment. Most of the imported stearic acid is produced from vegetable oil, and the production process is advanced. The performance of stearic acid is stable, the lubricity is good, and the odor is small in the application. stearic acid is mainly used to produce Stearates, such as sodium stearate, magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, lead stearate, aluminum stearate, cadmium stearate, iron stearate, potassium stearate, etc. The sodium or potassium salt of stearic acid is an integral part of soap. Sodium stearate is not as effective as sodium palmitate, but its presence increases the hardness of the soap. using butter as raw material, the free fatty acid is decomposed by sulfuric acid method or pressure method ~ After removing palmitic acid and oleic acid by hydraulic pressure method at 40 ℃, it is dissolved in ethanol, and then barium acetate or magnesium acetate is added to precipitate stearate, then dilute sulfuric acid is added to free stearic acid, it is filtered and recrystallized in ethanol to obtain pure stearic acid.
Main uses and functions	stearic acid is widely used in cosmetics, plastic plasticizers, mold release agents, stabilizers, surfactants, rubber vulcanization accelerators, waterproofing Agents, polishing agents, metal soaps, metal mineral flotation agents, softeners, pharmaceuticals and other organic chemicals. Stearic acid can also be used as a solvent for oil-soluble pigments, a crayon slip agent, a wax paper polishing agent, an emulsifier for Glyceryl stearate, and the like. stearic acid is also widely used in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride plastic pipes, plates, profiles and films. It is a heat stabilizer for polyvinyl chloride and has good lubricity and good light and heat stability. In the application of polyvinyl chloride pipe, stearic acid helps to prevent "coking" in the processing process, is an effective heat stabilizer in the processing of polyvinyl chloride film, and can prevent the discoloration of the finished film caused by exposure to the sun. stearic acid has become a functional additive for lubricating, plasticizing and stabilizing the modified masterbatch. Stearic acid can effectively improve the inorganic powder coating activation effect, increase the fluidity of the material, for the inorganic powder accounted for the absolute part of the material requires a higher melt flow rate, appropriate increase the content of stearic acid, the melt flow rate of the material can be significantly increased. However, the amount of stearic acid in the filling modified Masterbatch also has a limit value, which is generally controlled at about 1% of the total mass. The addition amount is too large, which will cause the decline of the quality and performance of the plastic products, and also make the mechanical devices such as the position of the die lip of the plastic product production equipment appear sticky objects, which affects the production efficiency and product quality. mono-or polyhydric alcohol esters of stearic acid can be used as cosmetics, Nonionic Surfactants, plasticizers, etc. Its alkali metal salt is soluble in water and is one of the main components of soap. Other metal salts can be used as waterproofing agents, lubricants, fungicides, coating additives and polyvinyl chloride stabilizers.
Product Specification	Commercial stearic acid product is a mixture, for different purposes, among them, the purity of stearic acid and other indicators are different, and there are many specifications of stearic acid products at home and abroad, such as 1801, 1803, 1805, 1806, 1809, 1806, 1835, 1836, 1837, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1845, 1850, 1855, 1865, 1870, 1885, 1895, 1896, 1005, 1205, stearic acid 200, stearic acid 800, one of the main differences between different specifications of the product is that the purity of stearic acid is different. In general, when the other indicators of stearic acid products are similar, the higher the purity of stearic acid, the higher the price of the product.
isostearic acid and its derivatives	isostearic acid is a branched methyl fatty acid that is widely distributed in nature. It was first discovered that waterfowl feathers were coated with a wax containing a high percentage of branched chain molecules, which was actually branched methyl aliphatic (about 2/3 of the total fatty acids in it). Composed of branched and unbranched methyl fatty alcohols, it provides protection to birds in a variety of climatic conditions, and keeps feathers in optimal condition. It was later found that 15% of the free fatty acids and 1.29% of the fatty alcohols in Human Epidermal Lipids are branched. 80 years, isostearic acid and its derivatives in the application of cosmetics is expanding, in 1981, the United States FDA, listed 142 new raw materials for cosmetics, 5% containing isostearic acid. At present, there are nearly 20 kinds of isostearic acid and its derivatives on the market. isostearic acid combines the advantages of stearic acid (excellent antioxidant stability) and oleic acid (low freezing point). Isostearic acid and its derivatives are liquid at room temperature except for monoglyceride, which reduces the difficulties of cold emulsification production technology, emulsions may contain components that deteriorate or decompose at high temperatures, such as enzymes, plant extracts, vitamins, and proteins. good lubricity is a prominent advantage of isostearic acid and its derivatives. Lubricity is usually evaluated based on the skin feel of the initial skin application and the feel after application. The state of the lipid film remaining on the skin after use is completely determined by the flow characteristics of the lipid film, such as viscosity, density, speed of moving film and friction coefficient. Therefore, there should be a correlation between perceived lubricity and friction coefficient. good air permeability is another prominent advantage of isostearic acid and its derivatives. The lipid membrane they form on the skin is permeable to steam, oxygen and carbon dioxide, This is important for the maintenance of skin physiology. Reference: Xie Bing Yi. Cosmetic Chemistry and Technology, Vol. 1. Beijing: China Light Industry Press.
toxicity	LD50 I. v. in mice, rats: 23±0.7, 21.5±1.8 mg/kg, L. Or, A. Wretlin, Acta Pharmacol. Toxicol. 18, 141 (1961)
usage limit	FEMA(mg/kg): soft drinks 2.0~10, Candy 4000, baked goods 3.5.GB 2760-2001: Candy, pectin base agent, GMP is limited.
Application	is widely used as cold-resistant plasticizer, stabilizer, surfactant, release agent, rubber vulcanization accelerator, etc. It is used as a vulcanizing agent for natural rubber, synthetic rubber (except butyl rubber) and latex, and also as a raw material for plasticizers and stabilizers of plastics. It is used in the preparation of ointments, suppositories, etc., and also used in the manufacture of cosmetics, candles, waterproofing agents, brighteners, etc. The product is used in the food industry as a lubricant, defoaming agent and food additives such as Glyceryl stearate, sorbitan stearate and Sucrose ester. can be used as a gas phase analysis standard, but also for the preparation of soap, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and other organic chemicals. stearic acid can be used to determine water hardness. Determination of calcium, magnesium and lithium by turbidimetry. Solvent for determination of relative molecular weight. An active agent that promotes acidification. Commercial stearic acid is actually a mixture of 45% stearic acid and 55% palmitic acid and contains a small amount of oleic acid with a slightly fatty odor.
production method	stearic acid is a kind of fatty acid which widely exists in nature, the content in animal fat is higher, such as the content of butter up to 24%, less in vegetable oil, tea oil is 0.8%, palm oil is 6%, but the content of cocoa butter is as high as 34%. The production methods of industrial stearic acid mainly include fractionation method and pressing method. Add decomposition agent in hardened oil, and then hydrolyzed to crude fatty acid, and then washed with water, distillation, decolorization to get the finished product. At the same time, by-product glycerol. The pressing method takes animal oil as raw material, hydrolyzes under the pressure of 1.17~1.47 MPa in the presence of zinc oxide, and then undergoes acid washing, water washing, distillation, cooling, solidification, after removal of oleic acid by pressing, a finished product was obtained. Cottonseed oil, rice bran oil or soybean oil was heated to boiling under normal pressure in the presence of hydrolysis agent, hydrolyzed for 1.5 h, and hardened into saturated fatty acids. The oleic acid hydrogenation method was used. C10-c20 and C18-C20 fractions of synthetic fatty acids were melted, acid washed (with 1% sulfuric acid) cast, pressed, melted, acid washed, dehydrated and crystallized.
spontaneous combustion temperature	395°C
toxic substance data	information provided by: pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (external link)