OLEIC ACID 75% MIN (C18:0 & BELOW 12.0 MAX)

Brief Overview

Oleic acid, a naturally occurring monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid, is abundantly present in a diverse range of animal and plant fats and oils. This oil, typically colorless and odorless, may exhibit a subtle yellow tint in commercial samples. Chemically classified as a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid, oleic acid is intricately associated with olive oil, a substance primarily composed of this beneficial compound.

Manufacturing Process

A combination of fats, such as vegetable oil, lard, and cattle tallow, are usually used in the oleic acid synthesis process. This combination is hydrolyzed and refined to produce mixed fatty acids. These fatty acids are compressed under cold conditions to produce stearic and oleic acid. After that, crude oleic acid is produced via a sequence of dehydration and distillation procedures, with stearic acid produced as a byproduct. Remarkably, oleic acid makes up around 80% of the distillate that is produced in this manner.

Soap Industry

Oleic acid, an unsaturated fatty acid known for improving the moisturizing and conditioning qualities of soap, is favored by soapmakers globally. Olive oil is widely used due to its oleic acid content. Contrary to popular belief, several oils, such as sunflower, safflower, and canola oils, which have higher levels of oleic acid, along with pricier luxury oils like hazelnut, marula, moringa, and buriti oils, contain significantly more oleic acid than olive oil.

Cosmetic Applications

Because the chemical is water-binding, it acts as an emollient in cosmetics, forming an oily layer that keeps skin hydrated. By stopping moisture loss, this promotes healthy, hydrated skin.

Manufacturing Applications

It can be used in the process of creating surfactants. Surfactants can be used as a cleaning agent to remove stains from clothing. Oleic acid is used to reduce the surface tension between two liquid phases, such as oil and water. Additionally, plasticizer is made from oleic acid. An substance known as a plasticizer works by lowering the viscosity of a material to soften it.

Other Applications

In pharmaceuticals, minimum quantities of oleic acid serve as an excipient. Additionally, oleic acid functions as an emulsifying or solubilizing agent in aerosol products. Emulsifiers play a crucial role in stabilizing the mixture of oil and water phase liquid, preventing coalescence or separation.