Stearic acid ( or ) is a saturated
fatty acid with an 18-carbon chain and has the IUPAC name
octadecanoic acid. It is a waxy solid and its chemical formula is C
17H
35CO
2H. Its name comes from the
Greek word στέαρ
"stéar", which means
tallow. The salts and
esters of stearic acid are called
stearates. As its ester, stearic acid is one of the most common saturated fatty acids found in nature following
palmitic acid. The triglyceride derived from three molecules of stearic acid is called
stearin.