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What Are the Physical Properties of Cetyl Alcohol?

Cetyl alcohol (C16H34O) has many other names, including cetanol, palmityl alcohol,
cetylol, cetal and ethal, according to Pub Chem Compound. This alcohol is obtained by a process called esterification of fatty acids, which are organic acids that contain one carboxyl group (OH) at least, according to author and toxicologist Shayne Gad, Ph.D., in "Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Handbook." Due to the nature of its synthesis, cetyl alcohol is classified as a fatty alcohol. It is often used as and emulsifiers and emollient, and it prevents moisture loss, reports Chemical Land 21.

Apart from its emulsifying and other properties, cetyl alcohol is characterized by a white flaky appearance, high boiling point and insolubility in water, according to Pub Chem Compound.

  1. Melting and Boiling Points

    • According to Chemical Land 21, when at room temperature, cetyl alcohol is a solid white flaky substance. However, at 49 C or 120 F, it reaches the melting point, becoming liquid. The recorded boiling point for cetyl alcohol is 334 C or 633 F. According to Science Lab, the substance's critical temperature is 487.85 C or 910.1 F. This represents the point when it can not be restored from vapor to the original state anymore, independent of quantity of pressure applied in the process, reports the Department of Chemistry of Purdue University.

    Solubility

    • According to Science Lab, cetyl alcohol is easily soluble in diethyl ether, soluble in acetone and chloroform but insoluble in cold water. The substance's insolubility in water is linked to its emulsifying properties and capacity to absorb water, which makes it a much used component in the preparation of skin moisturizer creams, according to toxicologist Shayne Gad Ph. D.

    Molecular Mass

    • Cetyl alcohol has a molecular mass of 242.44056 g/mol, which indicates the exact mass of one mole of the substance, according to Pub Chem Compound. Mole is unit of measurement used in chemistry, related to the number of atoms found in 12 grams of carbon-12, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

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