File:Stearic-acid-3D-balls.png · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
stearic acid
Sign in to saveAlso known as octadecoic acid, n-octadecanoic acid, FFA(18:0), OLA, octadecanoic acid, cetylacetic acid, 1-heptadecanecarboxylic acid, n-octadecanoic acidd
chemical compound
OverviewAI-generated
Stearic acid is a chemical compound with the formula C₁₈H₃₆O₂. Its IUPAC name is hydron;octadecanoate. The substance has a mass of 284.272 and a weight of 284.5. It possesses a density of 0.94, a melting point of 71, and a boiling point of 383. The molecule contains one hydrogen bond donor and two hydrogen bond acceptors, with a topological polar surface area of 40.1. Its canonical SMILES notation is CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)O, and it carries a charge of 0.
The compound is associated with the MCN code 2915.70.20. It has been referenced in 8,478 PubMed entries and is cited by 508 other encyclopedia articles.
Synthesized by Vinony from 19 facts across 4 sources: Wikidata, PubChem, PubMed, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Chemical data
- Formula
- C18H36O2
- Molecular weight
- 284.5 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- hydron;octadecanoate
- SMILES
- [H+].CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)[O-]
- InChIKey
- QIQXTHQIDYTFRH-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- Polar surface area
- 40.1 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 1
- H-bond acceptors
- 2
- Formal charge
- 0
via PubChem
Research
8,478 papers- Stearic acid metabolism in human health and disease.ReviewClinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) · 2025Shen X, Miao S, Zhang Y et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2024.12.012
- Stearic acid, clotting, and thrombosis.ReviewThe American journal of clinical nutrition · 1994Hoak JCDOI: 10.1093/ajcn/60.6.1050S
- Stearic acid metabolism and atherogenesis: history.ReviewThe American journal of clinical nutrition · 1994Kritchevsky DDOI: 10.1093/ajcn/60.6.997S
- Effects of stearic acid on plasma lipid and lipoproteins in humans.Lipids · 2005Mensink RPDOI: 10.1007/s11745-005-1486-x
- Influence of stearic acid on cholesterol metabolism relative to other long-chain fatty acids.ReviewThe American journal of clinical nutrition · 1994Grundy SMDOI: 10.1093/ajcn/60.6.986S
- Regulatory history for stearic acid.ReviewThe American journal of clinical nutrition · 1994Vanderveen JEDOI: 10.1093/ajcn/60.6.983S
- Stearic Acid as Polymerization Medium, Dopant and Hydrophobizer: Chemical Oxidative Polymerization of Pyrrole.Macromolecular rapid communications · 2024Koizumi R, Atsuta Y, Fameau AL et al.DOI: 10.1002/marc.202400448
- Stearic Acid Treatment Enhancing Corrosion Resistance of Biomimetic-Deposited Calcium Phosphate Dihydrate Coating on Medical Degradable Magnesium Alloy.ACS biomaterials science & engineering · 2023Wang T, Dong Y, Xu Y et al.DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c00003
via PubMed
Wikidata facts
- Subclass of
- saturated fatty acid
- Has part
- carbon
- Mass
- 284.272
- Image
- Stearinsäure auf Uhrglas.jpg
Show 10 more facts
- Commons category
- Stearic acid
- MCN code
- 2915.70.20
- found in taxon
- Hyoscyamus niger
- described by source
- Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition
- chemical formula
- C₁₈H₃₆O₂
- canonical SMILES
- CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)O
- boiling point
- 361
- melting point
- 68.82
- color
- white
- density
- 0.94
via Wikidata · CC0
~7 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Stearic acid (/ˈstɪərɪk/ STEER-ik, /stiˈærɪk/ stee-ARR-ik) is a saturated fatty acid with an 18-carbon chain. The IUPAC name is octadecanoic acid. It is a soft waxy solid with the formula CH3(CH2)16COOH. The triglyceride derived from three molecules of stearic acid is called stearin. Stearic acid is a prevalent fatty acid in nature, found in many animal and vegetable fats, but is usually higher in animal fat than vegetable fat. It has a melting point of 69.4 °C (156.9 °F) °C and a pKa of 4.50.
Its name comes from the Greek word στέαρ "stéar", which means tallow. The salts and esters of stearic acid are called stearates. As its glycerol ester, stearic acid is one of the most common saturated fatty acids found in nature and in the food supply, following palmitic acid. Dietary sources of stearic acid include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, and foods prepared with fats; beef tallow, lard, butterfat, cocoa butter, and shea butter are rich fat sources of stearic acid.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “stearic acid” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.