Fatty Acid

Name:
Fatty Acid
Detailed information:
Note: Linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic acids are called essential fatty acids by biochemists because such acids are necessary nutrients that are not synthesized in the animal body.

Use:

Special soaps, heavy-metal soap, lubricants, paints and lacquers (drying oils), candles, salad oil, shortening, synthetic detergents, cosmetics, emulsifiers.

A carboxylic acid derived from or contained in an animal or vegetable fat or oil. All fatty acids are composed of a chain of alkyl groups containing from 4 to 22 carbon atoms (usually an even number) and characterized by a terminal carboxyl group —COOH. The generic formula for mentioned acetic is CH₃(CH₂)_xCOOH (the carbon atom count includes the carboxyl group). Fatty acids may be saturated or unsaturated (olefinic), and solid, semisolid, or liquid. They are classed among the lipids, together with soap and waxes. Saturated: A fatty acid in which the carbon atoms of the alkyl chain are connected by single bonds. The most important of these are butyric (C₄), lauric (C₁₂), palmitic(C₁₆), and stearic (C₁₈). They have a variety of special uses (see specific entry). Stearic acid leads all other fatty acids in industrial use, primarily as a dispersing agent and accelerator activator in rubber products and soaps. Unsaturated: A fatty acid in which there are one or more double bonds between the carbon atoms in the alkyl chain. These acids are usually vegetable derived and consist of alkyl chains containing 18 or more carbon atoms with the characteristic end group —COOH. Most vegetable oils are mixtures of several fatty acids or their glycerides; the unsaturation accounts for the broad chemical utility of these substances, especially of drying oils. The most common unsaturated acids are oleic, linoleic, and linolenic (all C₁₈). Safflower oil is high in linoleic acid, peanut oil contains 21% linoleic acid, olive oil is 38% oleic acid, palmitoleic acid is abundant in fish oils. Aromatic fatty acids are now available.

See Phenylstearic Acid.