Usage areas of Stearic acid

Stearic acid is for several large long chain fatty acids made up of fats and oils. Animal fats are offered in glyceride form, such as oil and some vegetable oils. These oils produce stearic acid after hydrolysis.

Stearic acid is a fatty acid that is commonly found in nature and has the general chemical properties of carboxylic acids. Almost all types of oils and fats contain a certain amount of stearic acid, which is relatively high in animal fat. For example, when the vegetable oil content is 0.8% in tea oil and 6% in palm oil, the content in butter can be up to 24%. However, the content in cocoa can be up to 34%.

There are two important approaches for the industrial production of stearic acid, namely fractionation, and compression. Add decomposition agent to hydrogenated oil, and then hydrolyze to give crude fatty acid, then do water washing, distillation, bleaching to get finished products with glycerol as a by-product.

Most domestic producers are used in the production of animal fat. Some production technology will cause no fatty acid distillation, which produces an excitatory odor at the time of plastic processing and at high temperatures. This fragrance is non-toxic but will have a certain impact on working conditions and the natural environment. It takes the most imported form of stearic acid as vegetable oil raw material, the production processes are more advanced; The produced CH3(CH2)16COOH has stable performance, good lubricating properties, and less odor in the application.

Usage areas

• It is used as an emulsifier in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
• It is used as an auxiliary in textiles.
• It is used as an accelerator and softener activator in rubber.
• It is used in candle making, and pastel paint making.
• It is used to harden the soap.
• It is used to cover metal powders such as aluminum and iron in fireworks. Thus, it prolongs the waiting period of the material by preventing oxidation.
• It provides hardening when used together with glucose in confectionery.