Stearic acid is the saturated fatty acid with an 18 carbon chain and has the IUPAC name octadecanoic acid. It is a waxy solid, and its chemical formula is C18H3602, or CH3(CH2)16COOH.
A colorless, odorless, waxlike fatty acid, CH(CH)COOH, found in many animal and vegetable fats, and used in making candles, stearates, soaps, etc.
Stearic acid is useful as an ingredient in making candles, plastics, dietary supplements, oil pastels and cosmetics, and for softening rubber.
Stearic acid is also used as a parting compound when making plaster castings from a plaster piece mold or waste mold and when making the mold from a shellacked clay original.
