Butyl stearate

Chemical properties

Butyl stearate is a colorless or pale yellow oily liquid or low melting waxy solid. It has no odor or a faintly fatty odor. soluble in acetone, chloroform, soluble in ethanol, insoluble in water.

Occurrence

Reported found in fresh apple and boiled mutton.

The Uses of Butyl stearate

Butyl stearate is used as finishing agents, lubricants and lubricant additives. It is also used as a plasticizer, food packaging material and as a dye solvent. It acts as a reactant and involved in the preparation of octadecanoic acid methyl ester by reacting with methanol. It finds application as a binder in cosmetics like soaps, shampoos and shaving creams, skin conditioners and surfactants for cosmetic formulations.

The Uses of Butyl stearate

butyl stearate is a stearic acid used in very small quantities in cosmetic preparations as an emulsifier for creams and lotions. It has been shown to cause allergic reactions.

Definition

ChEBI: Butyl octadecanoate is a fatty acid ester that is the butyl ester of stearic acid. It has a role as an algal metabolite. It derives from an octadecanoic acid.

Preparation

Butyl stearate is obtained by esterification of stearic acid and butanol, dealcoholization, washing with water and pressure filtration.
By reacting silver state with n-butyl iodide at 100°C by transesterification of glyceryl tristearate (tristearin) with n-butyl alcohol.

General Description

Butyl stearate is a fatty acid ester, which has application in cosmetics, personal care products, and as an emollient in food industries.

Purification Methods

Acidic impurities are removed by shaking with 0.05M NaOH or a 2% NaHCO3 solution, followed by several water washes, then purified by fractional freezing of the melt and fractional crystallisation from solvents with boiling points below 100o. [Beilstein 2 IV 1219.]