12-Hydroxystearic Acid丨CAS 106-14-9

12-Hydroxystearic acid is widely used in the production of metal soaps, lubricants, and thickeners for industrial and personal care applications. In the cosmetic industry, it serves as an emulsifier, emollient, and thickening agent in creams, lotions, and ointments, improving texture, stability, and skin feel. It is also employed in the synthesis of lubricants, greases, and coatings, where its hydroxyl functionality enhances viscosity control and film-forming properties. In chemical manufacturing, 12-hydroxystearic acid is used as a precursor for producing polyamides, esters, and surfactants. Furthermore, it finds application in the production of biodegradable polymers, corrosion inhibitors, and softeners for textiles, paper, and plastics. Its functional hydroxyl group allows for further chemical derivatization, making it useful in research and specialty chemical synthesis.

The main benefits of 12-hydroxystearic acid include its excellent amphiphilic properties, which allow it to act as both a hydrophilic and hydrophobic modifier in formulations. The hydroxyl group improves reactivity for esterification, amidation, and polymerization reactions, expanding its versatility in chemical and industrial synthesis. It enhances product stability, viscosity control, and film formation in lubricants, coatings, and personal care products. Being derived from fatty acids, it offers good biocompatibility, low toxicity, and biodegradability, making it suitable for environmentally friendly formulations. Its long aliphatic chain provides lubricity, hydrophobicity, and flexibility, contributing to improved performance in greases, emulsions, and polymer materials.