Stearic Acid is a saturated long-chain fatty acid with an 18-carbon backbone. It is another name for octadecanoic acid. Stearic acid is found in various animal and plant fats. Stearic acid is a white solid with a mild odour, floats on water. Commercial stearic acid is a mixture of approximately equal amounts of stearic and palmitic acids and small amounts of oleic acid. The pure acid undergoes chemical reactions typical of carboxylic acids. It is a colourless, waxy solid that is almost insoluble in water. In purified form it presents as shiny white flakes or powder.

Stearic acid is mainly used in the production of stearates: sodium stearate, magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, lead stearate, aluminium stearate, cadmium stearate, iron stearate, stearic acid Potassium, widely used in cosmetics, plastic cold-resistant plasticizers, mold release agents, stabilizers, surfactants, rubber vulcanization accelerators, waterproofing agents, polishing agents, metal soaps, metal mineral flotation agents, softeners, pharmaceuticals and other organic chemicals.